Hatch, the independent street food village housed underneath the Mancunian Way, has announced it will close for good as the property company behind it seeks to redevelop the site.
Bruntwood has today (1 September) announced plans to close the award-winning retail, street food, and leisure space on 30 September.
The shipping container village is currently home to a host of different independent businesses, many of which will shut at the end of the month with the exception of ÖL Brewery – the only venue that will remain open throughout the redevelopment process.
One trader, who asked not to be named, told The Manc that the news had hit them especially hard and had come as a ‘huge shock’.
They said that all of the traders they had spoken to were ‘surprised’ at the ‘short notice’ given by Bruntwood and that many were also feeling ‘hurt’ by the post on the Hatch social media which they say gave them ‘no right of reply’ with the comments switched off.
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They also said that the communication issues have made it difficult to speak with customers about what is going on, as there is ‘no opportunity to explain to customers that we are still trading for the next month.’
The trader continued: “As for my own business, I’m not currently sure how to make it survive.
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“We’ve been given a month’s notice to wind down, find alternative premises which is nigh on impossible.
“We need to find a place to store our equipment which costs money that we don’t have, our staff will find jobs elsewhere in the meantime and we’ll encourage them to do so, but it will mean our businesses basically no longer exist.
“We have been put in an entirely impossible position.”
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Speaking on the situation with the staff at Hatch, whose roles Bruntwood has said are now under consultation, the trader added: “I have every sympathy for the staff at Hatch who have had to deliver this awful news and whose jobs are presumably also at risk.
“The responsibility lies squarely with Bruntwood and the new owners Stack who have left small businesses in the worst situation possible as we head into winter.”
A joint planning application for the redevelopment of the site is currently in progress, having been submitted by Bruntwood and leading leisure developer STACK.
Plans to reopen in 2024 will see Hatch become STACK, creating a similar – albeit larger – permanent offering that Bruntwood says will provide ‘more opportunities for traders in the city.’
The new format will see a mix of street food and bars brought together around a central plaza, with a stage and giant screen providing live entertainment.
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STACK’s owners have confirmed that all food and beverage traders at Hatch will be given priority during the selection process if they choose to apply for a unit within the newly created STACK when it reopens.
Permanent site staff, meanwhile, are currently undergoing a period of consultation.
Speaking on the change Peter Bearpark, Asset Management Director at Bruntwood, said: “We are incredibly proud of what we accomplished at Hatch.
“Originally conceived as an idea for how to utilise unused space while Circle Square was in development, it has been a success in terms of the vision we set out for it – supporting start-up businesses, allowing brands to experiment, grow and thrive, and creating a place for people to enjoy excellent food, drink and shopping.
“It’s always hard to say goodbye to a site that we are proud of, but now is the right time for Stack to take it to the next stage in its development.”
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Neill Winch, CEO of STACK, added: “STACK is delighted to bring its successful leisure brand to Manchester and continue the fantastic work that Bruntwood has started at Hatch in creating a place for businesses to grow and thrive – something that we are also very passionate about.
“We have a proven track record in providing venues which bring together the very best in street food, bars and we are also renowned for delivering a full programme of live entertainment for people of all ages, which has been a huge part of our success and an element we are looking forward to elevating in Manchester.
“This location is the perfect fit for us, and we look forward to building on the great work Hatch has already done and taking it to the next level under the STACK brand.
“STACK is already a proven concept which has had huge success in its native North East, in both Sunderland and Newcastle and is currently developing a whole host of new sites across the country. It operates as both a visitor attraction and a much-loved facility for local residents and we look forward to showing Manchester what we have to offer.”
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Since opening in December 2017, Hatch has created a space for independent businesses to innovate and grow, connecting to the local Manchester community, providing a place to meet, socialise and shop.
STACK is already well-established in Newcastle and has a successful site at Seaburn, Sunderland, and is now developing STACKs in Durham, Manchester Whitley Bay, Bishop Auckland, Middlesbrough, Lincoln, Northampton, and Carlisle, along with a new Tyneside home.
Featured image – Hatch
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Sunday Times Rich List – Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains richest man in North West despite losing £6bn
Daisy Jackson
The Sunday Times Rich List has today been released, revealing that Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains the richest man in the North West, and third-richest in the country.
The annual list names the richest of the rich across the UK, and the combined wealth of the 350 individuals and families listed in 2024 amounts to more than the GDP of Poland at £795.361 billion.
As well as Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who remains on the Sunday Times Rich List despite losing more than £6bn this year, other famous names include David and Victoria Beckham, Sir Elton John, and Lord Lloyd-Webber.
Representing the wealthiest in the North West are Michael Platt, The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family, and Home Bargains boss Tom Morris.
The billionaire Issa brothers who own Asda and founded EG Group complete the top five richest people regionally.
Local man Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who made his billions through chemical giant Ineos, has almost double the wealth of runner-up Michael Platt.
He recently ran the London Marathon at the age of 71 and secured a 25% stake of his childhood football club Manchester United.
The Duke of Westminster, who inherited his title and a huge land and property portfolio at the age of just 25, remains the richest person under 40 in the UK.
Now 33 years old and recently moved to Cheshire, his fortune now stands at £10.127 billion.
He’ll soon lose his title as the ‘UK’s most eligible bachelor’ though, with the Duke set to marry Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral next month.
Robert Watts, compiler of the Sunday Times Rich List, said: “This year’s Sunday Times Rich List suggests Britain’s billionaire boom has come to an end. Many of our home-grown entrepreneurs have seen their fortunes fall and some of the global super rich who came here are moving away.
“Thousands of British livelihoods rely on the super-rich to some extent. We’ll have to wait and see whether we have now reached peak billionaire, and what that means for our economy.
“These may be harder times to create wealth, but The Sunday Times Rich List continues to unearth entrepreneurs building fortunes in diverse and often surprising ways. This year’s new entries include people who have made money from artificial intelligence and virtual worlds as well as plumbing supplies and teaching aides.
“We know many of our readers find such people — especially those from humbler backgrounds — very inspiring.”
The minimum entry to get onto the mega-rich list this year is a whopping £350m.
Teens could be recruited as train drivers to help ‘improve’ Britain’s railways amid ongoing strikes
Emily Sergeant
Teenagers could soon be recruited as train drivers in a bid to help “improve” Britain’s railways, the Government has announced.
Amid what have been ongoing strikes for the past couple of years now, and following on from the announcement back in February that ASLEF train drivers at several train companies and operators had voted ‘overwhelmingly’ to continue taking industrial action for another six months, the Government has now proposed lowering the minimum age to become a train driver from 20 to 18.
A consultation on the somewhat-controversial move is to be launched as part of the Government’s efforts to open up more careers in the rail sector to young people.
Ultimately, transport ministers believe this could “improve the reliability of rail services” across the UK.
Teens could be recruited as train drivers to help ‘improve’ Britain’s railways amid ongoing strikes / Credit: National Rail
This surprising recruitment drive announcement comes after the Government has revealed that the train driver workforce is projected to shrink without opening up more opportunities for new recruits in the near future – especially given the fact the average age of a train driver in Britain is 48 years old, and many are set to retire within the next five years or so.
Under the new proposals set to go out to consultation, the Department for Transport (DfT) will create a new pathway for school leavers to take up apprenticeships and train to join the profession.
If agreed following the consultation, the new regulations to lower the minimum age for train drivers from 20 to 18 could be in place as early as this summer, according to the Government, which will apparently “help set thousands of young people on track to a career in transport” once they’ve bid farewell to their school days.
The Government says its proposal to lower the minimum age would “build resilience” across the railway.
The Government has launched a consultation of the lowering of the minimum train driver age / Credit: Northern
Not only is the proposal said to form part of wider Government plans to create more opportunities where young people can gain the skills they need to succeed, all while generating more jobs that lead to a “productive” and “high-skilled” economy, but transport ministers believe attracting more young train drivers would help the rail industry provide a “more reliable service” for customers when other staff are off sick or on annual leave.
By opening up the sector to young people, the Government claims this would be “a positive step” and one that directly benefits passengers.
“We want to open the door for young people considering transport as a career, and this proposal could give school-leavers a clear path into the sector,” commented Rail Minister, Huw Merriman, as the proposals were unveiled this week.
We're asking for views on lowering the minimum age requirement to become a train driver in Great Britain from 20 to 18.
This could open the door to thousands of new opportunities for young people in transport.
“By boosting age diversity in the sector and attracting more drivers, we can help support reliable services while creating opportunities for more young people.”
If the proposals are introduced, the Government says all prospective train drivers, regardless of their age, will continue to be held to the same stringent training requirements as before to ensure the safe use of our railways for everyone.
To become a licensed train driver in the UK, trainees must pass mandatory medical, psychological, fitness, and general professional competence examinations.