City Centre

Abandoned Manchester railway arches to become shop and restaurant hub

The council is yet to approve the £4m scheme, but if successful it would transform the arches - the largest of their kind outside of London - into a new neighbourhood

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 17th April 2023

A row of empty Manchester railways that have sat empty for years is set to become a new shopping and dining hub, if plans submitted to council bosses are successful.

The railway arches behind Manchester Victoria railway station have long stood derelict, but now it appears that developers want to turn them into a row of shops, bars, restaurants and cafes for locals and visitors to enjoy.

The Arch Company, a national project that plans to transform 1,000 empty or derelict spaces across England and Wales by 2030, has its sights set on the location and has submitted plans to bring the ten arches back to life.

If successful the £4m scheme will become part of the national £200m Project 1000 scheme, which has already seen the developer purchase 253 spaces in Manchester and Salford, including arches on Temperance Street and Bennett Street.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the Victoria railway arches are the largest of their kind outside of the capital.

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Whilst acquiring its portfolio, the developer purchased a large range of spaces from Network Rail.

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Archy 5, better known as the pop-up bikes shop, will remain open on Corporation Street throughout the redevelopment.

Arches beyond number 11, meanwhile, are not affected as they are not part of the project according to planning documents.

Speaking on the application, portfolio asset manager Rob Roddy said: “Corporation Street is a fantastic location for leisure and retail businesses to make their own – we see incredible potential in these railway arches.

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“As part of our development plan, Project 1000, we’re committed to investing in 1,000 spaces by 2030 and hope these arches in Manchester will form part of these plans.”

Featured image – The Arch Company

City Centre

A live Shaun the Sheep stage show and circus is coming to Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones Shaun the Sheep live circus and stage show Manchester tickets

Brace yourselves, because one of the best fun-for-all-ages events is coming to Manchester: the official Shaun the Sheep stage and circus show is coming to Factory International.

This isn’t just one to keep the children entertained; we already know plenty of big kids who grew up on Shaun, Shirley, and the rest of the sheep are already thinking about grabbing tickets.

Created by Nick Park, the same man responsible for Wallace and Gromit, this live stage production and incredibly practical circus show of the beloved British cartoon is already critically acclaimed.

Now set to make its full European debut right here in our city, Shaun the Sheep’s Circus Show teams up with leading performance company Circa to bring the TV show to life this winter.

‘It’s gonna be un-BAAA-leivable’.

Conceived not only by the award-winning minds at Aardman Animation, but the experienced performers at Circa, this ‘in the flesh’ (and wool) interpretation of the slapstick CBBC classic will not only delight younger audiences, but bring plenty of energy to keep the adults entertained too.

Promising a “live circus performance, simultaneously blurring the lines between movement, dance, theatre and circus for a visual spectacle packed with wit”, you can expect acrobatics and circus skills.

Stunts will include the likes of tumbling, juggling, aerial hoop, aerial silks, trapeze, Spanish web and Chinese pole, just to name a few.

And, of course, there’ll be plenty of Aardman’s signature heartwarming comedy in W&G, Chicken Run, Arthur Christmas, Flushed Away and more.

Naturally, all the usual suspects will be on show to: Shaun, Bitzer, The Farmer and the rest of the Flock – and yes, in case the trailer didn’t give it away, they are people who are not just dressed up as adorable real-life lambs but bouncing, flipping and flying all over the stage.

Coming to Aviva Studios this festive period, it’ll be taking place in The Hall: one of the venue’s largest and most dynamic rooms, with the state-of-the-art building famously able to alter the size of individual stages and spaces depending on the event.

John McGrath, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Factory International, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Circa and Aardman to present the European premiere of this fun-filled show at our home in Aviva Studios.

“Circa presents award-winning circus performances to audiences across the globe, and their collaboration with Aardman Studios creates a unique offering for families, circus fans and everyone who loves Shaun the Sheep“

Running from Tuesday, 11 December 2025 until Sunday, 4 January 2026, they’ve also ensured affordable admission from just £10; you can grab your tickets now.

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Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)

City Centre

Campaigners set up petition to pedestrianise Tib Street in the Northern Quarter

Danny Jones Danny Jones Pedestrianise Tib Street petition Northern Quarter

Local campaigners in Manchester have set up a new petition to hopefully pedestrianise what they have deemed the ‘untapped’ Tib Street in the Northern Quarter.

And not only do they arguably have a strong point, but the proposal might have legs, too.

Even if the name Tib St doesn’t quite ring a bell, if you live centrally or have been to the city centre enough times, the chances are you’ll likely have walked down it at least once or twice.

More importantly, you could be walking, drinking, eating and plenty more there soon, if the people behind this petition pull off the plans they’re hoping to put in place with the help of Manchester City Council.

Staging a small, simple but considered and definitive demonstration on Friday, 24 October, a group of Manc businesses, residents and volunteers gathered to hold out the banner seen above, calling for exactly what it says: for local authorities to pedestrianise Tib Street.

They believe it has more potential. (Credit: The Manc Group)

Having seen the success of nearby Thomas Street and Edge St, which have become two of the busiest parts of what is already one of Manchester’s most vibrant districts and cultural hubs, they essentially want a piece of the action – and you can’t exactly blame them.

While at least part of the road is well utilised with the likes of Northern Soul, Evelyn’s, MyThai, and other independents sit pretty tucked away up into the slightly raised buildings above street level, with that recognisable bridge hanging above, the thoroughfare as a whole still remains a bit of a bottleneck.

It’s arguably even more so further down the street as you head more towards Ancoats, too, with the backstreet sitting behind the likes of Tib Street Tavern, Matt and Phreds, and The Butcher’s Quarter still mainly reserved for little more than deliveries and people trying to secure a shortcut.

Nearby native Fiona Moinuddin, who has rallied to try and get the Council on side in the past, says: “Pedestrianisation has already transformed other parts of NQ, and Tib Street should be next.

“This is about making our streets safer, supporting local businesses, and giving people space to enjoy our city centre. I’m calling on the Council to listen to residents and act.”

In fact, there have already been calls to roll back the road to a bygone era and bring back one particular treasured piece of its heritage.

Northern Quarter’s iconic ‘Big Horn’ could be coming back to Tib Street
Before it was known for lorries, diversions and traffic, it was home to a rather famous bit of artwork.

Chatting with the Tavern’s co-owners on the day, Rory O’Keefe and Jon Dootson, they told The Manc that “it’d be so much better for the street to be closed.”

“We’ve obviously got Dorsey Street, which could be opened up and turned into a terrace of a sort of community garden, and just tidy this area up and make it look a lot nicer for the city – it’ll be great for businesses as well.”

“I think there are too many cars coming down here. Obviously, everything’s mainly featured on Stevenson Square, and we feel a little bit left out around the corner.”

They also noted that although it’s been great to see how their Thomas and Edge St neighbours are thriving, not to mention they’ve been around for over two decades themselves, they have sadly lost a lot of business due to the disparity – especially when the sun comes out.

We also spoke to Matt and Phreds‘ boss, Claire Turner, who said: “Tib would be really good for pedestrianisation, so we can have some outdoor furniture, maybe even bring some live music into the street in the summer; it would just kind of tie everything together with the rest of the Northern Quarter.

“I understand it’s not going to be for everybody, but I’m hoping the council will logistically sort everything out so that there’s still plenty of access for deliveries etc., but I just think it’s a positive thing for all of us.”

If you’d like to get behind the movement, you can sign the petition to pedestrianise Tib Street HERE.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group

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