An outdated Manchester building could be “reactivated” into a brand-new innovation hub as part of ambitious transformation plans.
The Renold Building – which dates back to 1962, and was the first of its kind UK at the time – will take on a new lease of life, and become a home for “forward-thinking entrepreneurs and SMEs” to develop new ideas and solutions that will help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges.
The building’s revamp forms part of the initial phase of the University of Manchester (UoM) and Bruntwood SciTech’s joint ‘ID Manchester’ project.
ID Manchester is an “ambitious” plan to transform the University’s former North Campus into a “welcoming and accessible” new £1.7 billion innovation district.
We’re happy to share plans for ID Manchester's innovation hub, reactivating the Renold Building as a home for science and tech start-ups. With coworking, office & community event spaces, it will be central to the #IDManchester ecosystem.
According to UoM, the new vision for the Renold Building will celebrate its history as an educational hub by hosting the next wave of science and technology innovators, and building an inclusive and purpose-driven community.
The city centre building will provide a range of coworking, office, and meeting facilities to accommodate and support collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, businesses, and partner organisations.
On top of this, new events and exhibition spaces – including lecture theatres, and a community cafe – will be accessible to local businesses, community groups, and arts and culture organisations as part of the project, so that they have the chance to host and participate in a wide range of engaging events and activities.
Outdated Manchester building could become new ‘innovation hub’ as part of £1.7bn transformation plans / Credit: Bruntwood
“The Renold Building will be an invaluable place to bring together like-minded organisations and partners to collaborate, develop, and test new ideas,” commented John Holden, who is the Associate Vice-President for Major Special Projects at UoM.
“We’re building our innovation ecosystem from the ground up, and the Renold Building will be a place that not only accelerates the growth of our city’s most promising entrepreneurs, SMEs and university spin-outs, but also provides the spaces and opportunities to allow our local communities to participate, experience and benefit from innovation too.”
An application to convert the building from educational to commercial use has been submitted to Manchester City Council, UoM and Bruntwood SciTech have confirmed.
Pending application approval, the building is set to open in late 2024.
Featured Image – UoM
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Drinks prices for Manchester Oasis gigs announced – and you’ll be pleasantly surprised
Daisy Jackson
The prices of drinks at Heaton Park for the five huge Manchester Oasis shows have been released in advance.
With the Gallagher brothers reuniting on stage in their hometown for the first time this weekend (and then again next week), it’s a huge moment for our city.
Those lucky enough to snag tickets have already forked out a small fortune to witness this moment in history (still scarred from the dynamic pricing debacle).
And most of us were probably bracing to spend another small fortune on beers at the Oasis Manchester gigs.
But you might be pleasantly surprised at the drinks prices up at Heaton Park for Oasis Live ’25.
It’s now been confirmed that pints of lager and cider will be just £6.50.
Before you turn your nose up, remember that pints at our two arenas – the AO Arena and Co-op Live are now sitting around the £9 mark.
Prices for other drinks, like wine and spirits, we’ll have to wait until Friday to see.
Heaton Park will also be the home of the ‘largest beer garden’ and the longest bars in the city for the Oasis reunion.
With a major heatwave predicted for the first shows, fans are being encouraged to stay hydrated (on WATER, not beer, please).
Ticket-holders will be allowed to bring a sealed bottle of water up to 500ml in with you, but it must be collapsible plastic.
Solid plastic and metal containers will be rejected on safety grounds.
There’s a free water point on site where you can fill up your bottles again.
Oasis will perform at Heaton Park in Manchester on 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20 July.
Dates announced as resident doctors prepare to stage strikes this month
Emily Sergeant
Resident doctors in England have voted to stage strike action over pay, and the dates for the industrial action have now been confirmed.
The British Medical Association (BMA) says doctors have ‘spoken clearly’ after the results of a vote published today revealed that 90% of resident doctors have voted in favour of a potential return to industrial action.
It comes after the ballot – which ran from 27 May until 7 July – saw a turnout of 55% members, with almost 30,000 (29,741) votes cast.
26,766 of those votes endorsed the use of strike action as part of efforts to restore pay, while just under 3,000 voted against it.
The result means that resident doctors have now secured a fresh mandate to stage industrial action when they choose from now until January 2026.
BMA resident doctors committee co-chairs, Melissa Ryan and Ross Nieuwoudt, said that, while no doctor took the possibility of striking lightly, a clear majority of members felt that they had ‘no other choice’ given the ongoing failures to restore pay.
They added that Health Secretary Wes Streeting has the power to ‘make the right decision’ on pay, and urged the Government to return to negotiations ‘as soon as possible’.
It’s now been confirmed that resident doctors will stage a full walk out from 7am on Friday 25 July until 7am on Wednesday 30 July.
These upcoming strikes come after resident doctors – formerly known as junior doctors, until 2024 – in England participated in an unprecedented 11 rounds of strike action after negotiations with the previous Conservative Government over restoring pay repeatedly stalled.
“Doctors have spoken and spoken clearly – they won’t accept that they are worth a fifth less than they were in 2008,” the committee co-chairs said. “Our pay may have declined but our will to fight remains strong.
“Doctors don’t take industrial action lightly, but they know it is preferable to watching their profession wither away.
“The next move is the Government’s – will it repeat the mistakes of its predecessor? Or will it do the right thing and negotiate a path to full pay restoration and the restoration of doctors’ confidence in our profession’s future?”
Emily Sergeant -
26th February 2024 
