Major redevelopment plans for the building which houses the Manchester city centre branch of Debenhams will go ahead.
The Rylands building will be transformed, despite previous concerns about an “ugly” rooftop extension.
The plans for the £68.5 million redevelopment – which were first revealed back in August of last year, before it went to full public consultation – by owners AM Alpha will see the iconic building provide a new shopping arcade at street level, along with several floors of new offices.
It would also involve the Grade II listed landmark on Market Street getting a much-needed makeover aimed at restoring its Art Deco glory.
Redevelopment plans come after department store chain Debenhams – which has occupied the Rylands building since 1973 – announced it is closing its flagship premises after battling ongoing financial troubles that were heightened amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, before eventually going into administration last year and putting 12,000 jobs at risk across the UK.
ADVERTISEMENT
There are no plans for another department store to take its place either, and instead, new shopping, dining and leisure outlets will open in the ground floor and basement.
AM Alpha had also considered converting the building into apartments, a cinema or a gallery, but it has been confirmed that office space was seen as the most sustainable long-term use of the building, with up to 258,000 sq ft of new offices set to occupy most of the vacant upper floors, as well as a 40,000 sq ft four-storey rooftop extension.
ADVERTISEMENT
An atrium providing natural light between the second and seventh floors is also planned, along with a winter garden on the sixth floor.
AM AlphaAM Alpha
The redevelopment plans have been met with some criticism though.
Piccadilly councillor Sam Wheeler told Manchester’s planning committee that the extension would have a detrimental effect on 15 families living in neighbouring buildings, saying on Thursday that: “I think we can all admit that the box on top of the Grade II listed building is incredibly ugly.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It has been a policy of the council for some 30 years or so now to promote city centre living, not just city centre existing.
“Each time there is a loss of habitability caused by loss of light in several apartments, that does lower the livability of the city centre.”
The planning committee meeting also heard that a loss of light would have a negative impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of those who would be affected by the rooftop extension, with committee member Councillor Jon-Connor Lyons – also a Piccadilly ward member – adding that the extension would “box in” hundreds of residents living between Market Street and Church Street.
But Katie Wray – Assistant Director at Deloitte, acting on behalf of AM Alpha – said the proposals would “restore and rejuvenate” the Rylands building, and secure its long-term future.
The vote to approve the application was passed by eight councillors, with two voting against and one abstaining.
You can find more information via the Future Rylands website here.
News
Yet another major Deansgate Locks nightlife spot has closed in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Deansgate Locks is set to lose yet another of its nightlife spots, with Ark confirming it will be shutting its doors ‘within weeks’.
The multi-room, multi-storey, multi-genre nightclub has been part of the canalside development for more than a decade, having first opened back in 2014.
At that time, Deansgate Locks was arguably Manchester’s leading nightlife destination, drawing hundreds of students and party-goers to its mix of venues.
The railway arches have been home to iconic clubs and bars including Baa Bar, Lola Lo, Revolution, and Sugar Buddha, as well as The Comedy Store.
But with news that Ark Manchester is closing too, it leaves only Popworld left at what was previously one of the city’s hottest destinations.
In a statement shared with the Manchester Evening News, a spokesperson for Stonegate said: “The hospitality sector continues to face significant challenges.
Ark Manchester will be closing for goodIt leaves Deansgate Locks with just one venue
“After careful consideration, and despite our best efforts, Ark Manchester is no longer commercially viable and we have taken the difficult decision to close the venue.
“Our priority is to support our hard‑working team during this time, and we would like to thank them for their commitment and dedication. We would also like to thank our guests and the local community for their support over the years.”
It’s believed that Ark Manchester will close on Deansgate Locks in the next few weeks.
Groundbreaking endometriosis tests could help catch diagnosis ‘years earlier’
Danny Jones
In some major public health news, two pioneering and crucially faster tests for endometriosis, which are set to be rolled out across Great Britain soon, could be about to reduce the time taken to diagnose the condition by several years.
That’s according to the National Institute for Healthand Care Excellence (NICE), who have issued an update revealing that the fresh testing technology could significantly speed up the process that can currently take the best part of a decade or even more.
In some cases, it can take upwards of 11 years to fully identify endometriosis, especially within certain ethnically diverse communities, but now the executive non-departmental public body has given the green light for the NHS to introduce the pair of expeditious testing methods here in the UK.
Announced on Tuesday, 7 July, the dual approach – one half of which is already being used domestically as part of a pilot study – won’t serve as a standalone diagnostic system in itself, but should help drastically reduce the time between suspected symptoms, confirmation and treatment.
In the UK, average diagnosis takes over 9 years.
Endosure and Endotest can now be used in the NHS while more evidence is gathered.
Emma Cox, chief executive of Endometriosis UK, said in a public statement: “Availability of these new tests needs to go hand-in-hand with education of GPs and practice nurses to ensure prompt access to those that need them, and an end to pain and symptoms not being recognised.”
The two prongs of this new approach revolve around the already in-trialEndotest®, currently being manufactured by French biotech company Ziwig.
Essentially a straightforward saliva test, it’s been recommended for wider use over some time now.
Meanwhile, the second step is ‘EndoSure’: a non-invasive test that uses “topical electrode pads similar to those used in an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the myoelectric activity of the smooth muscle of the GI tract”, with sensors placed on the stomach area.
You can see an instructional video explaining more information about the former down below.
Put in the simplest terms, in tandem, they could save one in 10 women lots of time and pain.
Dr Anastasia Chalkidou, healthtech programme director at NICE, went on to add: “A diagnosis of endometriosis can for some women take the best part of a decade […] That delay means living with chronic pelvic pain that affects daily life, relationships and work.
“These technologies have the potential to change that by giving primary care professionals better non-invasive tools to identify endometriosis earlier, allowing earlier and better treatment.
“Our draft guidance reflects our commitment to getting promising innovations to patients quickly, while making sure the evidence to support their wider use is built in a rigorous way.”
While both are still pending full approval and eventual scaling across the country, here’s hoping it can make the difference in the lives of millions of British women and beyond.
The Manc -
22nd January 2021 
