Britannia’s Fire Station scheme wins approval

BRITANNIA Hotels’ application to build a hotel on the London Road Fire Station site was approved by Manchester City Council’s planning committee last week, but it is still pursuing its plan to compulsorily purchase the building.

The council submitted a Compulsory Purchase Order last month, which is currently being considered by the government. However, since Britannia Hotels has objected to the order, the likelihood is that a public enquiry will be ordered which will begin during the first half of next year.

A council spokesman said that the planning application and the CPO were two separate routes – the application has to be considered in terms of the merits of the particular scheme whereas the CPO is being pursued due to a lack of confidence over its ability to deliver the scheme.

Britannia Hotels has submitted several applications to develop the building either as hotels or apartments since acquiring the building – the first of which was submitted in 1986. Three of these have previously been approved but then subsequently lapsed. The company has also submitted and subsequently withdrawn several other applications.

“It’s been the best part of a quarter of a century since the first application was put in but nothing seems to happen,” the spokesman said.