Eleventh-hour reprieve for Ancoats Dispensary

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save the grade II-listed Ancoats Dispensary have won an eleventh-hour reprieve.

Councillors in Manchester were advised to give final approval to demolition works yesterday but they agreed to defer the decision for a month.

Restoration architect Alex Finlason, of the Pickard Finlason Partnership in Hale, told the committee there was a strong chance of receiving financial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and a potential tenant has been lined up – AWOL Studios, which rents space to artists and start-ups.

Ancoats Hospital has been closed since 1989 and the building has been owned by the Manchester developer Urban Splash since 2001. The firm had previously planned a project to bring it back to life by putting in around 1,800 sq ft of commercial space and 16 apartments.

However, the project was due to receive £1m in funding from the North West Development Agency, which was cut when the coalition government came into power. Last year Urban Splash applied to demolish the building which has already lost its roof due to work that began before the prospect of funding support vanished.

Mr Finlason, who has been working with a campaign group and other interested parties, told the committee: “I’ve produced a credible, sustainable plan. That is a fact. The council papers state there’s nothing to indicate that any scheme is forthcoming. That’s factually incorrect. There’s masses to suggest a scheme is forthcoming. I can give chapter and verse on the plans for the building and I urge the committee to defer or throw it out.”

He added: “This may be the 13th-hour for this important building and for the people of Ancoats to have their voices heard, but I assure you it’s not too late.”

Despite his comments, planning officer Julie Roscoe, told the committee: “The reality is we don’t have a proposition on the table at the present time. The Heritage Lottery Fund won’t fully fund the restoration and it will require some match-funding.”

Mr Finlason, who says Urban Splash’s founder Tom Bloxham supports his plans, has arranged a meeting on May 8 for various stakeholders where he hopes details about a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund will be agreed. He says a £5m bid could cover nearly all the restoration work.

The council approved the demolition subject to certain conditions last summer. Yesterday’s meeting was held to rubber stamp the approval. The committee agreed to defer to give extra time to the campaigners and to clarify the conditions.