Cosgrove Hall offices to become retirement flats
A BUILDING that was home to Manchester’s famous animation house Cosgrove Hall is to be demolished to make way for retirement flats.
The company, responsible for Dangermouse, Jamie and the Magic Torch and Chorlton and the Wheelies, spent 33 years at the offices on Albany Road, Chorlton, but left in February 2009 when its parent company ITV opted not to renew the lease.
Bournemouth-based developer McCarthy & Stone bought the site for an undisclosed sum from a private investor in June.
The company expects to submit a planning application for 45 apartments in November and hopes to start construction later next year.
A spokesman for the company said: “Contracts were exchanged on the Albany Road site in June 2010. The site, which measures approximately an acre, was purchased from a private investor.
“A detailed planning application for 45 one and two bedroom new build retirement apartments, a residents’ lounge and communal facilities will be submitted by McCarthy & Stone in November 2010, with a decision expected in February 2011. Subject to planning, we anticipate starting construction later in 2011.”
Last year ITV moved Cosgrove Hall into its Quay Street offices in the city centre and in October admitted the business was under review. Later that month the company ceased trading with ITV citing continuing losses and increasing difficulties with financing children’s programmes.
Cosgrove suffered from cutbacks to children’s programming, stemming partly from the loss of advertising revenues following Ofcom’s decision to ban junk food ads during children’s programmes.
Although its back catalogue includes classics like Count Duckula and Wind in the Willows, it did not earn revenue from them because the rights are held by Fremantle Media.
