Beloved Manchester bar and once regular student stomping ground The Footage has officially been up for sale and it’s fair to say we had to double-take when saw for how much.
The iconic Oxford Road pub quietly closed its doors back in May after more than 30 years under various different names – but it’s always been The Footage to us.
It was one of the most popular pubs on the busy student strip for generations of uni cohorts and, as we’re sure many a Manc gig-goer would vouch for, a great place for pints beforehand.
However, not only the place is vacant but it’s now been put on the market for a bigger bargain than you’d find at Poundland. No, seriously…
The Footage is now up for sale on Rightmove. (Credit: The Manc Group)
No, we’re not pulling your leg: Manchester’s once well-trodden and ever-busy The Footage is now listed on Rightmove for just £1.
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A quid, for a whole building and all that potential on none other than Oxford Road, one of Manchester’s most prime real estate areas.
It might sound daft at first but it’s actually not too unheard of nowadays and properties like these can often be listed for such a small amount either to help others get on the ladder, support local businesses and industry markets, as well as make sure a site’s heritage can be not just kept intact but carried on.
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As the former cinema house and theatre is a Grade II-listed building, built in 1912 and set over two sizeable storeys (plus, it really is gorgeous), everyone involved has a vested interest in making sure it doesn’t get left to just sit there and go to waste.
However, take that price point with a decent pinch of salt because it isn’t just about purchasing the plot but also getting the place up to scratch, and in terms of business rates the value according to Rightmove is “£41,250 with effect from April 2023”.
The listing goes on to add that “confirmation of actual business rates payable should be obtained from the local authority” but it still presents a big opportunity for someone to take over the roomy spot.
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Although there is scope to do a lot with the place, the substantial basement area with two large beer cellars and a number of smaller storage rooms means it’s likely to become another bar or maybe just snapped up by a bar group.
Once again, particulars like the current energy rating are still to be fully certified but whoever does take a chance on buying it for just the price of a decent pick-and-mix with have access to a license that allows for trading between 10am-2am, Monday to Saturday and until 1am on Sunday.
We sincerely hope The Footage doesn’t stay up for sale too long and that somebody rolls the dice with the beautiful building – at that kind of price you’d be a fool not to. It’s not the only longstanding local favourite that’s gone up for sale either.
Government launches £442m drive to get rough sleepers off streets before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has launched a £442m drive to get rough sleepers off the streets before Christmas.
Learning from ‘innovative’ approaches put into place during the pandemic, the Government has announced that new accommodation will be rolled out across England this winter, as well as offering practical help with housing, health, and other needs to support people to build a more stable life for themselves in the future.
The new commitment to offer everyone a route off the streets this Christmas, along with boosted funding, reflect the Andy Burnham‘s national drive to make ‘real change’ and get everyone playing their part in ending rough sleeping.
Not only will these plans change the lives of rough sleepers, but it’s also said they will have huge benefits for the country as a whole.
Research from homelessness charity Crisis suggests that by preventing 40,000 people from becoming homeless for a year, taxpayers could save around £370 million.
The Government has launched a £442m drive to get rough sleepers off the streets before Christmas / Credit: Number 10 Press Office | Jon Tyson (via Unsplash)
As well provisions to get people off the streets, and the intensive ‘wraparound’ support, the newly allocated funding will also help local areas deliver more than 1,000 ‘settled’ homes over the next three years, it has been confirmed.
Areas facing the greatest pressures will receive the largest share of support.
Working alongside councils, Mayors will play a leading role in driving local action to end rough sleeping, and will be tasked with making decisions that are right for their communities to deliver help where it’s needed most.
The Prime Minister says he ‘won’t accept’ rough sleeping any longer. He commented: “No one should have to bed down in a doorway or outside a station, but we’ve seen it for so long that it feels like Westminster has started to accept it.
“That’s why my first instruction as Prime Minister was to end rough sleeping, and it’s why today we’re getting started with a national drive to get everyone in for Christmas. We did it in the pandemic, we can do it again. But it needs all of us.
“Government will put the money in, but I’m asking leaders in communities and sectors across society to play their part locally too.
“Let’s get people out the cold, and let’s bring back hope.”
Featured Image – Gary Knight (via Flickr)
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Trainline and Virgin Atlantic among companies being investigated for ‘misleading’ pricing
Emily Sergeant
A number of companies are currently under investigation for ‘misleading’ pricing practices.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched three new consumer protection investigations into Trainline, Virgin Atlantic, and RED Driving School over concerns that customers were not shown the total price upfront when buying things like train and coach tickets, holidays, or even driving lessons.
The investigations are part of a wider CMA clampdown on misleading pricing practices – in this instance, where mandatory charges are separated from the headline price, or added later in the buying process, which is known as drip pricing.
These practices leave consumers facing ‘unexpected’ costs or having to calculate the so-called true cost themselves.
Such practices can also impact competition between businesses, as a firm using drip pricing may falsely appear to be cheaper than a competitor pricing correctly, and therefore attract more customers.
Trainline and Virgin Atlantic are among the companies being investigated for ‘misleading’ pricing / Credit: Northern | Aric Cheng (via Unsplash)
Trainline is being investigated over whether all mandatory fees have been included in the upfront prices displayed to consumers buying tickets in advance on its app and website, while Virgin Atlantic’s investigation will focus on whether mandatory resort fees and local taxes have been included in the upfront prices shown to customers buying package holidays.
RED Driving School is being investigated over how a mandatory booking fee and ‘digital’ fee have been displayed to people booking driving lessons – specifically whether these fees have been included in the total upfront price.
“At a time when many households are watching every pound they spend, it is important that people are not surprised by extra fees,” commented Emma Cochrane, who is the Executive Director for Consumer Protection at the CMA.
“Clear pricing helps people compare offers confidently and choose the option that works best for them.
“Unexpected mandatory charges make this much harder, which is why the CMA initially put these firms on notice over concerns about their pricing practices and is now opening formal investigations.”
The CMA says it’s at the beginning of its investigations and has reached no conclusions about whether these firms have broken the law.
If it finds there has been an infringement of the law, the CMA can order businesses to pay compensation to affected customers or be charged up to 10% of global turnover.
Danny Jones -
24th September 2024 
