Finally, Manchester’s historic Campfield Market is being brought back to life, set to turn into a creative tech campus.
The huge space – part of which was previously the Air and Space Hall at the Science and Industry Museum – will soon reopen as a ‘mega campus’ for the city’s creative and tech businesses.
The plans revealed by Allied London show a whopping 130,000 sq ft campus across three buildings, including the two landmark Victorian market halls.
Set to launch this June, Campfield will be home to flexible workspaces, cafes, media studios, a bar, and plenty more.
A highlight will be Campfield House, ‘the city’s newest destination for socialising and entertainment’, home to a cafe, event space, the Campfield House Bar, and weekend craft markets and food stalls, all set beneath the building’s iconic glass roof
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At the heart of the mega campus will be Department at Campfield, with a range of cutting-edge facilities and flexible workspaces from private offices to creative studios to co-working areas.
There’ll also be mixed media studios, workshops, meeting rooms, all based on the success of existing Department workspaces established in 2020 across Manchester and Leeds.
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Elsewhere, the creative tech-specialising Exchange will provide critical resources, coaching and community to businesses – it’s already supported more than 1000 individuals and 200 businesses.
The vision for Campfield in Manchester
Of the two listed former market halls, the smaller will become Campfield Studios, with production spaces and studios around a dramatic central atrium available for hire.
And completing the Campfield campus will be Castlefield House, where members will find a dynamic media workspace and hospitality hub, with a Bauhaus-inspired design and a spacious courtyard cafe.
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Campfield will join other restored, repurposed and revolutionary landmarks in St John’s, like Aviva Studios, Bonded Warehouse and Manchester Goods Yard.
Michael Ingall, Chief Executive of Allied London, said: “Campfield will provide creative, tech and media businesses with the infrastructure and facilities they need to grow and develop. Importantly, it will once again be open for social gatherings and for the public to enjoy.
“The project will see these historically significant buildings given a new life and fully equipped to play an integral part in the next generation of artistic and creative output from the city’s new creative district.”
The vision for Campfield in Manchester
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Campfield is a much-loved historic site that has sat empty and underutilised for so long. We’ve been supporting this project from the start, bringing these important heritage buildings brought back into active use, supporting the city’s ongoing growth and boosting employment opportunities in some of the city’s key emerging sectors.
“Manchester’s reputation is growing globally as a leader in the creative, tech and media industries, and this new hub is another example of creating a supportive ecosystem where businesses can start-up, scale-up and thrive. It’s great to see this scheme come to life, bringing a renewed energy to Campfield.”
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Tanya Grady, Commercial Director of Allied London, said: “The sustainable reimagination of the historic Campfield campus will become a catalyst for a new creative community. We recognise that a place for creative, tech and media companies needs a diverse set of amenities to enable innovators to produce their best work.
“Campfield will maximise the number of businesses and founders we can support in fulfilling their creative potential. Campfield possesses everything founders need to take their tech, media and creative businesses to the next level.”
Abigail Gunning, Operational Director of Department, said: “Department Campfield will offer thoughtfully designed, service-led workspaces that enable businesses to succeed.
“The new campus represents our commitment to providing amenity-rich environments where people feel fulfilled, and businesses can attract the best talent. We’re excited to continue growing our community and support businesses shaping the future of Manchester’s creative and tech landscape.”
You can win a ‘shopping trip of a lifetime’ with a £3,000 budget at Cheshire Oaks
Emily Sergeant
Fancy winning a shopping trip with a £3,000 budget this summer?
In case you weren’t aware, the UK’s largest designer outlet, Cheshire Oaks, is turning 30 years old this year, and in a bid to properly mark the major milestone, has now launched an exciting search for super fans to celebrate their individual style stories and experiences from throughout the past three decades.
Since originally opening back in 1995, the iconic shopping destination has gone from strength to strength over time, having been extended on a number occasions to now boast more than 400,000 sq ft of retail space.
With over 4,000 employees and more than 21 million items sold annually across 160 stores and 19 food outlets, it’s safe to say Cheshire Oaks stands as the go-to destination in North West.
63% of Brits choose to do shop in-person over online purchases, according to a new national style report recently commissioned by Cheshire Oaks.
You can win a ‘shopping trip of a lifetime’ with a £3,000 budget at Cheshire Oaks / Credit: Cheshire Oaks
So who wouldn’t want an all-expenses-paid shopping trip here then? Thankfully, ahead of its 30th anniversary, Cheshire Oaks has launched a UK-wide birthday competition and you can now get your entries in by simply heading to the outlet mall’s website here and sharing your favourite shopping memories from over the years.
You’ll also need to include experiences of how you’ve shopped with the brand through the years, and share why it’s such as special shopping destination to you.
There’s a number of fantastic prizes available, but of course, the star of the show has to be the fully-paid shopping trip for the winner and two other family members worth £3,000 – with Cheshire Oaks looking to reward fans spanning across three generations of the same family, in-keeping with the brand’s 30 year milestone.
If you aren’t quite lucky enough to bag the top prize, entering means you may be in with a chance of winning a shopping trip led by a professional stylist instead, or perhaps a complimentary family fashion photoshoot to help capture the style stories of three generations.
“As our celebrations continue to mark the brand’s 30th anniversary, we’re excited to hear about the individual style stories from three generations of our customers,” explained Kenny Murray, who is the General Manager at Cheshire Oaks.
“The last three decades has seen us evolve, grow and innovate with the times and we’re delighted to be able to share in the celebrations with our loyal customer base and give something back to those most deserving.”
Keen to enter then? You have until the end of this week to get your entries in, as the competition closes this Sunday (20 April).
The winners will be chosen and contacted on Monday 21 April, so keep your eyes peeled.
Featured Image – Cheshire Oaks
Business
More than 80% of Brits think the Government is badly handling the cost of living crisis
Emily Sergeant
More than 80% of Brits think the Government is badly handling the cost of living crisis, a new survey has revealed.
It’s no surprise that the rising cost of living crisis has been one of the defining political issues of the 2020s, not just here in the UK, but right across the world, and according to the shocking findings from a new YouGov survey as we enter the second half of the decade, these financial problems show no sign of disappearing.
56% of Brits, which is a clear majority, say they have been affected by cost of living pressures in recent times, with four in 10 (40%) of those, in particular, saying they have not just had to make cuts to their usual spending, but expect to have to do so again in the future.
Even though a fifth of Brits (21%) say they have been able to maintain their usual levels of spending soon, they sadly anticipate having to make some cuts soon.
Net approval of the government's managing of the cost of living has fallen to -69, lower than the -59 when the Conservatives left office last July
To really hit home just how much the country’s been affected, the new survey found that just one in five Brits (19%) say they have been able to maintain their usual levels of spending, and expect to be able to continue to do so.
The survey also uncovered who was finding the cost of living crisis so hard to manage, with six in 10 women (60%) saying they have already had to make cuts, compared to just 51% of men, and why they are feeling the affects – with inflation rising faster than wages, on average, being the most common reason.
And when it comes to the Government’s input, responses were far from favourable.
56% of Britons say they've had to make cuts due to cost of living pressures, with 61% expecting to have to make cuts soon
Had to make cuts, expect to make more: 40% Had to make cuts, but don't expect more: 16% Not made cuts so far, but expect to: 21% Not made cuts so far and… pic.twitter.com/7V3D011P1G
As mentioned, currently eight in 10 Brits (81%) say the Government is managing the cost of living badly, which is up from an already-high 74% last November, and is also the highest number since back in August 2023.
Just one in eight (12%) believe the Government has handled the matter well, from 15% in November.
Even among Labour voters themselves, YouGov found that there was ‘little feeling’ the Government is doing a good job, as only 22% believed it’s been positively handled, compared to two-thirds (67%) who see them as having done badly on the matter.
Featured Image – Jessica Taylor / No 10 Downing Street (via Wikimedia Commons)
Daisy Jackson -
16th April 2025 
