An underused multi-storey car park in the heart of the city centre is set to be sold and redeveloped as an ‘ambitious’ new neighbourhood.
The ‘eyesore’ car park situated in Manchester’s iconic Northern Quarter will be transformed into what Manchester City Council is hoping will become a green and sustainable neighbourhood set to complement the ‘unique and independent’ ethos of the area.
It comes after developers CBRE were appointed by the Council last year to market the Church Street site for disposal, ahead of seeking formal planning permission.
The new scheme will deliver more than 300 new homes – including 60 affordable homes – alongside new commercial opportunities and high-quality public spaces.
A before and proposed after of Church Street Car Park / Credit: Manchester City Council
It’s expected that the development will respect the heritage and architecture of the historic city centre neighbourhood and help to enhance the wider area, all while improving a car park site that has long fallen out of favour.
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The new neighbourhood will also feature four new public squares and green spaces, along with opportunities for pedestrianising the surrounding streets as part of the public realm.
As mentioned, commercial space is also part of the plans, as the ground floor of the building will offer a mix of smaller, more affordable units to ensure local independent businesses can access the neighbourhood, alongside units for food and beverage outlets.
“For too long, the Church Street car park has been an eyesore and a barrier to the ongoing success of the Northern Quarter,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council.
“We want to bring forward a world-class development that has the potential to completely transform this part of the neighbourhood, together with the newest city centre public squares and green spaces.”
The final legal negotiations will conclude over the summer, and it’s expected that a public consultation will then take place to inform a future planning application.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
Business
The 10 restaurant and bar closures that shocked Greater Manchester in 2025
Daisy Jackson
Greater Manchester has one of the most exciting and fastest-growing restaurant scenes on the planet – but that doesn’t make our city immune from hospitality closures, as 2025 has shown.
Given the economic climate and the increasing pressures on hospitality, it’s actually shocking (and a relief) that we haven’t lost even more beloved local spots.
In 2025, there have been some high-profile closures in Manchester that no one saw coming, as we bid a sad farewell to some local legends.
The good news is that the number of openings still outstrips the number of closures – you can see some of the biggest spots we welcomed last year HERE.
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Almost Famous
Greater Manchester
Almost Famous / Credit: The Manc Group
It’s no surprise that this was one of the biggest stories in Manchester in 2025, because we simply could not believe our eyes when Almost Famous announced its closure.
The burger craze of the mid-2010s may have died down, but this spot had always felt like a Northern Quarter OG with a loyal enough following to stand the test of time.
Alas, it closed its doors very suddenly back in January, shortly followed by its sister smash burger brand Super Awesome Deluxe, with a staggering outcry and a lot of fall-out locally.
Thankfully, a short while later it was rescued by the team behind PINS Social Club.
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Hip Hop Chip Shop
Ancoats
Hip Hop Chip Shop / Credit: The Manc Group
Another sad day for the Manchester food scene arrived in February, when Ancoats favourite The Hip Hop Chip Shop announced its closure.
Having first opened in 2014 as a street food stall, to opening their own site in Ancoats, the present financial pressures took their toll, and Hip Hop Chip Shop shut its shutters just a few weeks later.
We still fantasise about their battered halloumi.
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Another Heart To Feed
Northern Quarter
Another Heart to Feed / Credit: The Manc Group
It felt like one of the Northern Quarter’s top brunch spots, and with queues around the block nearly all the time, seemed like a safe spot.
But the award-winning Another Heart to Feed’s popularity was not enough to overcome the challenges facing the industry.
In their statement, this lovely brunch spot and wine bar thanked customers and staff, past and present – you can read more here.
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Mother Mary’s
Oxford Road
Mother Mary’s / Credit: The Manc Group
One of Manchester’s newest Irish bars announced its sudden and immediate closure in November, citing financial pressures.
Mother Mary’s took over the old student haunt that was Font bar, just off Oxford Road, filling the venue with a state-of-the-art sound system for hosting live music and club nights.
It was much more than just an Irish bar and had become a safe space for so many locals – accessible, queer-inclusive, independent, and dedicated to championing local talent.
One of Manchester’s most legendary bars closed its doors after 13 beautiful years in the city earlier this year, shocking us and everyone who loved it.
Sandinista quietly shut down in October, throwing one final knees-up for loyal (and very sad) punters.
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The bar, just off St Ann’s Square, was famed for its menu of beers, tequila, and cocktails, including a pint of Zombie served on fire.
There’ll never be another one like it.
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Bohemian Arts Club
Stockport
Bohemian Arts Club / Credit: The Manc Group
Stockport lost a good one back in September – Bohemian Arts Club, the stunning cocktail bar launched by Blossoms frontman Tom Ogden and his wife Katie, closed for good.
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It had been a much-loved addition to town, a real vintage-style speakeasy serving top quality drinks, and you could feel all the love the couple had poured into it (even down to the heart-shaped chairs handmade by Katie’s mum and dad).
Thankfully, it stayed in the family – Katie’s incredibly successful Bohemian Salon has expanded from downstairs to take over the entire three-storey building.
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Feel Good Club
Northern Quarter
Feel Good Club / Credit: Supplied
After five incredible years in the city, brewing up some of the finest coffee, serving an all-day brunch menu full of all your favourite comfort food dishes, hosting countless events, and just generally being a wholesome community space for anyone and everyone who needs it, it’s the end of the road for Feel Good Club.
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Founders Kiera and Aimie sadly announced they would be closing the doors to their Northern Quarter cafe in the summer, after struggling to stay afloat this past year like so many other local indies.
They said: “We’ve had the time of our lives, and met the most incredible people along the way.”
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Kala
Manchester City Centre
It was part of Gary Usher’s acclaimed group of restaurants, but Elite Bistros shut down one of its top spots earlier this year.
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City centre bistro Kala closed for good back in June, with a heartfelt and very honest statement.
Usher wrote: “Thank you to all the team past & present & I’m so sorry to all of you and all the guests that I couldn’t create something with longevity.”
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Medlock Canteen
New Jackson
Medlock Canteen / Credit: The Manc Group
Just months after celebrating its first birthday, Medlock Canteen announced it was moving out of the Deansgate Square neighbourhood.
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The brilliant local restaurant served a really gorgeous menu that included rotisserie chicken, full English breakfasts, and quite possibly Manchester’s best Caesar salad.
It was all proper hearty food that you actually want to eat, with a stunning mid-century restaurant space and great drinks too.
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Osma
Prestwich
Osma / Credit: The Manc Group | Osma
Prestwich’s burgeoning restaurant scene was dealt a major blow at the start of 2025, when Osma announced its closure.
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The Scandi-esque restaurant was a front-runner of Prestwich’s ever-growing food and drink scene since it opened in 2020, fronted by Manchester born Danielle Heron, who you might recognise from the Great British Menu and MasterChef: The Professionals 2024, alongside Sofie Stoermann-Naess.
You can still find their brilliant cooking at Exhibition in the city centre, but as for the restaurant itself, Osma said they ‘struggled to find experience staff, leaving us with little to no personal life’.
Sorely missed.
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Featured Image – The Manc Group
Business
How to get 59 days off work in 2026 using only 28 days of annual leave
Emily Sergeant
Whether you can believe it or not, we’ll be getting ready to say goodbye to 2025 and welcome in a new year next week.
2025 has been quite the year, and with the working world getting ready to wind down for the festive season, many are no doubt already looking ahead to the new year, and planning all the holidays and time off work they want to book.
Fancy making the most of it though? For those looking to play their cards right and hack the system a little bit, some clever clogs has worked out a way to secure yourself a whopping 59 days off work by using just 28 days of your annual leave allowance – and it’s pretty impressive.
With most full-time employees who work a five-day week having a minimum of 28 days (5.6 weeks) of paid annual leave each year, travel experts have figured out how these people can effectively double their time off in 2026.
How to get 59 days off work in 2026 using only 28 days of annual leave / Credit: Road Ahead | Kaitlyn Baker (via Unsplash)
January
It may be a tad too late for some, but if you’re still able to extend your new year celebrations, then you’ll want to book Friday 2 January off to create a long weekend.
Easter
Saturday 28 March to Sunday 12 April – Thanks to those two Bank Holidays we get off around Easter time, by booking Monday 30 March to Thursday 2 April, and then Tuesday 7 April to Friday 10 April off, you can enjoy a massive 16 days off work by just using eight days of annual leave.
Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 March – Weekend
Monday 30 March to Thursday 2 April – Annual Leave
Friday 3 April – Good Friday
Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 April (Easter Sunday) – Weekend
Monday 6 April – Easter Monday
Tuesday 7 to Friday 10 April – Annual Leave
Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April – Annual Leave
May
Saturday 2 to Sunday 10 May and Saturday 23 to Sunday 31 May – Thanks to the two Bank Holidays in May, there’s two ways for you to enjoy nine days off in a row by only using four days of annual leave.
August
Saturday 29 August – Sunday 6 September – With another Bank Holiday in August, by booking Tuesday 1 though to Friday 4 September as annual leave, you can enjoy nine days of summer holiday in total.
December
Saturday 19 December 2026 – 3 January 2027 – With the Christmas Day and Boxing Day Bank Holidays, as well as the Boxing Day substitute day, and New Year’s Day too, you can book just seven days off on from 21 to 24 December, and 29 to 31 December, to enjoy a whopping 16 days off in total.
Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 December – Weekend
Monday 21 – Thursday 24 December – Annual Leave
Friday 25 & Saturday 26 December – Christmas Day and Boxing Day (& weekend)
Sunday 27 December – Weekend
Monday 28 December – Bank Holiday (Boxing Day substitute)
Tuesday 29 – Thursday 31 December – Annual Leave
Friday 1 January 2026 – New Year’s Day
Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 January – Weekend
Wellbeing Coach Lorna Wilkins has explored the health-boosting benefits of going on holiday and taking time off from work.
“One of the key health benefits of going on holiday is that it reduces stress,” Lorna explains.
“Having a break from your daily routine can make you feel more relaxed and therefore improve your mental wellbeing. A change of environment and getting away from the pressures of day-to-day life not only helps you to clear your mind but can also help to improve your sleep quality as you’ll be feeling more relaxed.”
Emily Sergeant -
9th July 2025 
