Property

Manchester’s landmark first skyscraper is up for sale

New life for the CIS Tower?

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 28th June 2022

The first skyscraper ever built in Manchester has gone up for sale.

The CIS Tower is a familiar pillar of the city centre skyline, standing in the NOMA development near Manchester Victoria and the Northern Quarter.

The 26-storey building was previously home to Cooperative Insurance but is currently vacant.

Built in the 1960s, the Grade II-listed tower was briefly the tallest building in the UK.

Last year, the building was relaunched as ‘vertical community’ Society, promising to deliver the ‘best working environment in the city’.

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  • The CIS Tower in Manchester city centre, now known as Society. Credit: Geograph
  • The CIS Tower in Manchester city centre, now known as Society. Credit: Unsplash

The hunt is now on to find a new owner for this landmark commercial property, which will have food, drink and retail space at street level as well as 143,527 sq ft of workspace in the tower, and a further 207,379 sq ft in the podium element.

Marketing materials from Castlebrooke Investments, BSB (Bampton Satchwell Bull) and Colliers state: “Society has been designed to provide a vibrant stimulating working environment at the heart of Manchester’s most exciting district.

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“The design philosophy has been to respond to occupiers needs and aspirations – both “work and play”, and create a “vertical community” that connects to the wider community and is accessible to all.

The CIS Tower in Manchester city centre, now known as Society. Credit: SocietyMCR

“The creation of such an iconic building whilst cognisant of technical and operational needs in the form of best design guidance – has responded to create a place of enjoyment and fulfilment which will help in attracting and retaining talent and a place that occupiers customers and partners will enjoy.”

A spokesperson from Castlebrooke said: “Castlebrooke has worked strategically alongside core stakeholders to put measures in place to deliver what is now believed to be the best ‘oven ready’ redevelopment opportunity in Manchester.

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“The global prestige and iconic reputation of the former CIS Tower, alongside Castlebrooke’s compelling vision for the scheme, has brought about interest from investors/developers across the globe.

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“As such, we believe now is the right time to offer the opportunity up to one of the many interested parties to take the asset forward.”

At the time the Society plans were revealed last year, Sir Richard Leese, then-leader of Manchester City Council, said: “This is a landmark site with a proud history which has been honoured through Castlebrooke’s sympathetic redevelopment programme.

“Society complements the established neighbourhood of vibrant communities in this part of the city and marks an exciting new era for the building and a creative re-imagining of an established working environment, which Manchester’s business community will no doubt embrace.”

Featured image: SocietyMCR

Property

Inside the stunning £10m Cheshire mansion with an indoor pool and tennis court

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

An absolutely breathtaking Georgian mansion set among picturesque grounds is currently on the market in Cheshire.

The only thing is, you’ll just need the small matter of £10 million before you can call it yours.

Of course, it goes without saying that the vast majority of people reading this article won’t have £10 million just sitting in their bank account right now, and that properties of this size and stature are not the kind we’ll ever get to call home.

But, if like us, you’ve got no shame in admitting you love looking at houses you can’t afford in places you’ll probably never live, then allow us to introduce you to this absolute stunner.

Take a look inside Whirley Hall.

A stunning mansion with an indoor pool and a tennis court has gone on the market in Cheshire for £10 million / Credit: Jackson Stops

Located in Over Alderley – which is one of Cheshire‘s many affluent and sought-after villages, known for combining the best of rural living, while still being conveniently close to a wide range of amenities, excellent local schools, and transport links into Greater Manchester, the rest of the North West, and beyond – this eight-bedroom home has so much to offer prospective buyers.

Dating back to the 1670s, this four-storey former residence of the Birtles and Hibbert families is a beautifully-conceived Grade II-listed home set in what is arguably one of the area’s best locations.

Estate agents say this property is truly “exquisite”, not only for its Georgian architecture, but also for its contemporary leisure suite, five-acres of glorious gardens, two separate cottages, and further 56-acres of surrounding land.

“Countless” original features can be found inside the property.

The property has been renovated to the highest of standards throughout / Credit: Jackson Stops

All of the brickwork, windows, and fine plasterwork have been “meticulously restored” to complement the property’s striking interiors.

With a layout described as “inviting”, and the property completed to a “luxurious” material specification, the home is said to be a lesson in modern elegance, while still being the most relaxed and comfortable it could be, with all the natural light enhanced and living space utilised.

Some of the property’s stand-out features include a bespoke kitchen, four ensuite bedroom suites, each with their own dressing rooms, a state-of-the-art leisure suite with an indoor pool, spa, steam room, and gym, and its very-own tennis court set within the grounds.

With 56-acres of grounds, and its own tennis court, the outside is just as impressive as the inside / Credit: Jackson Stops

If the property wasn’t already impressive enough on the inside, its equally as impressive when you step outside too.

As well as the approximately five-acres of landscaped gardens, orchard, and a pond, and the approximately 56.29-acres of attached parkland, paddocks, woodland, and lakes, the property also has a steel-framed agricultural barn in its grounds, as well as a number of outbuildings – including a garden store and pottery studio.

The property also comes with an extensive driveway and covered parking for around four vehicles.

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Whirley Hall is currently on the market with the Alderley Edge branch of local estate agents, Jackson Stops, for a whopping £10 million (Offers in Excess of), and if you fancy taking a closer look, then you can contact the property company to arrange a viewing.

Or you could just take the cheaper route instead and have a nosey at the Rightmove link here.

Featured Image – Jackson Stops

Property

Major changes have been made to what Greater Manchester households can recycle

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Major changes have been made to what households across Greater Manchester can now stick into their recycling bins.

In case you weren’t aware, this week is National Recycling Week, which is a national effort focused on rescuing items that can be recycled, and in a bid to properly mark the occasion, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has announced that residents across the region will now be able to recycle a wider range of plastic items in their household mixed recycling bin.

This is all thanks to upgrades in Greater Manchester’s recycling facilities, and to the recent contract extension with SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK.

From this week, plastic pots and tubs used for things like yoghurt, soup, cosmetics, butter, and laundry powder, plastic trays containing raw and cooked meat, and plastic fruit and veg punnets, can now all be put in the mixed recycling bin.

These can now all join items like plastic bottles, glass jars, food tins and drinks cans, aerosols, and foil for the first time.

Despite these recent facilities upgrades, plastic films like crisp packets, pet food pouches, and carrier bags, still cannot be recycled in our region.

For now, you can just can throw plastic films into your household bin, where they’ll be burned to generate electricity for the region, however, GMCA has assured residents that it is planning to collect these types of plastic for recycling “in the future”.

“These upgrades will keep up our momentum on recycling,” explained Cllr Tom Ross, who is the Portfolio Lead for Waste and Recycling at GMCA.

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“It’ll give us time to build our new, cutting-edge materials recovery centre in Manchester while supporting residents to recycle more easily.”

Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons

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