The restoration of the Manchester Town Hall could take ANOTHER two years to complete, and requires an addition £29m, council bosses have said.
The mighty Grade I-listed building has been closed for an extensive renovation since 2018, and was due to reopen next year.
But now the Manchester landmark may be looking at delays up to two years, as well as another budget increase.
The pain-staking work to restore the Victorian building in the ‘construction’ phase is now 60% complete, but ‘further challenges’ have been discovered as parts of the 146-year-old building are uncovered.
That’s included corroded, cracked or split cast iron drainpipes and gutters that need replacing; installing four new lift shafts around the building’s historic layout and idiosyncrasies; and a delay in the necessary testing of materials following new fire safety standards post-Grenfell.
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Back in 2022, a report found that ongoing factors like hyperinflation in the construction industry and knock-on costs of delays from the pandemic meant that additional funding may be required to complete the project.
That update also confirmed that the completion date of July 2024 would need to be revised.
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It’s estimated that these delays and rising costs (material prices increased 44% across the sector in the space of one year alone) have had a £67m impact on the project.
The ongoing restoration of Manchester Town Hall. Credit: Manchester City Council
On 26 July, the Council’s Executive will be asked to approve an extra £29m interim funding to complete a key part of the construction phase. This will be funded through borrowing and will not impact on service budgets.
Despite this, the Our Town Hall project is performing strongly against its objective – more than 57% of its spending is with Manchester businesses (its target was 40%) and 47% of those working on site live in the city (again, ahead of the 30% target).
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The reopening of the Manchester Town Hall and the completion of the project will be confirmed in January 2024.
Deputy Council Leader Cllr Luthfur Rahman said: “This is the biggest heritage project currently being undertaken in the UK.
“It is benefitting Manchester people now, through job creation and spending with city businesses and it will continue to benefit them for generations to come by safeguarding and improving access to this wonderful building and its artefacts, as well as delivering a transformed and enlarged Albert Square as a world class events space.
“There has been considerable national interest in what we are achieving here, including from the team working on the similarly challenging restoration of the Houses of Parliament.
“The length and complexity of the project is such that it has been buffeted by some unprecedented challenges, the cost impacts of which are magnified because of the sheer scale involved. Nobody is pretending this has been easy but the end result will be something truly special, a source of pride and a remarkable asset for Manchester.”
Glitzy Spinningfields bar famed for its bottomless deals shuts down
Daisy Jackson
Popular cocktail bar group Banyan has suddenly closed its glitzy bar in the heart of Spinningfields.
The restaurant and bar, which is part of the Arc Inspirations group that also operates Manahatta and Box, has shut down with immediate effect.
A sign has been posted in the window of the Spinningfields site of Banyan confirming its closure.
Banyan opened in 2018 and was the second site for the brand, which has been operating out of the Corn Exchange since 2015.
Inside, the huge 7,000sq ft space was split into spaces for drinking, dining and dancing, including a large mezzanine and a huge white marble bar.
Banyan is famed for its bottomless deals, whether that’s a classic bottomless brunch or their bottomless Sunday roast (endless Yorkshire puddings, gravy, wine, and roast potatoes).
It also offered two-for-one cocktails, all day every day.
The bar stands on the side of Spinningfields, directly opposite The Ivy and alongside The Alchemist.
Banyan in Spinningfields has shut downThe note in the window of Banyan
But now it has permanently closed its doors, thanking people for their custom over its almost-decade in Manchester.
The sign on the door says: “Banyan Spinningfields is now permanently closed.
“Thank you so much for your custom over the years, we’ve loved being part of this wonderful city and have made so many friends.
“Don’t be a stranger, we’d love to continue to welcome you to our Banyan bar in the Corn Exchange. Team Banyan.”
Council seized £4.3m worth of counterfeit goods from Manchester’s streets in 2025
Emily Sergeant
A whopping £4.3 million of counterfeit goods were seized from Manchester’s streets in 2025, the Council has revealed.
Now that 2025 has come to end, Manchester City Council has announced that its Trading Standards Team seized and destroyed more than 43,500 counterfeit items in the last year – ranging from everything like fake handbags, trainers, and jewellery, to electronic items, sportswear, children’s toys, sunglasses, and much more.
Through ‘exemplary partnership work’ with Greater Manchester Police (GMP), the Council says this criminal industry has taken a ‘substantial hit’ over the past 12 months.
It’s also estimated that the goods seized would have lost the industry up to £43 million.
Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, who is the Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council, said the Council hopes this action ‘sends a message that we will not tolerate this harmful trade.’
The Council seized £4.3m worth of counterfeit goods from Manchester’s streets in 2025 / Credit: GMP
“The counterfeit industry was substantially embedded in our communities, but through their diligence and the support of our valued partners we have driven away some of the worst offenders and are beginning the process of regenerating the areas of Manchester that were long blighted by this sort of crime,” she added.
It’s not just counterfeit goods that’ve been targeted either, as a substantial push was also made throughout the year to crack-down on the sale and distribution of illicit tobacco.
In total, 316,625 cigarettes – which is equivalent to nearly 16,000 individual packs – were seized by the Council and police.
258kg of hand rolling tobacco was also seized, as well as more than 18,000 illegal vapes that don’t comply with UK laws or regulations.
Detective Chief Inspector Melanie Johnson, who is the lead coordinator of Operation Machinize for GMP, says the police takes any information it receives about counterfeit trading ‘very seriously’.
“We will continue to investigate all aspects of this criminality to protect our communities from the harms of illegal products.”
Daisy Jackson -
13th July 2023 
