Manchester‘s newest landmark arts complex Factory International is reportedly in talks to sell naming rights to the venue to help fund the rising costs of the project.
After it was reported earlier this month that the huge arts centre being built in Manchester city centre – which is set to be a world-leading theatre, performance space, and cultural hub – had blown past its budget once again, and was seeking for a further £25.2 million in funding from the government and Arts Council England to be approved by Manchester City Council, it’s now been revealed that the option for selling naming rights is being explored.
Plans for the unique structure – which boasts 21m-high ceilings and an enormous warehouse-style space that can be divided up for different audiences – were first announced in 2016, and back then, its total budget was set to be £110 million, with an opening date pencilled in for 2019.
But now, as construction costs continue to skyrocket, the landmark complex is actually looking at a total cost of £210.8 million, which is almost double its original budget, and a completion date in 2023.
Councillors are expected to approve the renewed request for funding at an executive meeting next week – but local authority leaders say they hope “a significant proportion” of the costs will be recovered by selling the naming rights to the venue.
Factory International is set to be a world-leading theatre, performance space, and cultural hub / Credit: Pawel Paniczko
MIF executive director Randel Bryan told the Council that the naming deal is expected to raise at least £25 million.
This is said to go above the total fundraising target previously set for the arts centre.
“We’ve already had really advanced conversations with a number of leading brands that have been in excess of the £24 million mark,” Mr Bryan said.
“Those deals, for a number of reasons, are still being developed and are still in a pipeline, but it does show that there are sponsors and partners out there that are prepared to exceed our ambitions with naming rights.”
Factory bosses hope to finish the naming rights deal before the venue opens in 2023, with around 70% of the proceeds from the deal going to the Council directly and the remaining 30% to support MIF and the future of the venue.
When it’s finally completed, the complex will be programmed and operated by the team behind Manchester International Festival (MIF) to act as a permanent home to the roving arts festival, and it’s expected to create or support around 1,500 jobs, attract 850,000 visitors a year, and contribute around £1.1 billion to the economy over a decade.
Manchester City Council says the venue will be “inclusive and inspiring”, with plenty of free and low cost events and opportunities for Manchester people to get involved, both as participants as well as audiences.
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More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham
Daisy Jackson
More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.
The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.
The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.
The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).
Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.
Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.
What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.
Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.
“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.
“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”
Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer
Emily Sergeant
A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.
Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.
Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.
Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.
First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.
The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)
Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.
The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times.
Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road.
Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained.
As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)
These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.
The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.
“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”
You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.
Emily Sergeant -
17th October 2022 
