The huge face of a historic Manchester mill is currently being offered up as a blank canvas, ready for a local artist to add to the city’s flourishing art scene.
Developers Capital & Centric are on the hunt for a talented muralist to deliver a striking, permanent piece in Piccadilly East.
And it’s a big one – the successful artist will be tasked with designing a piece for the five-storey west side wall on Neptune Mill.
They’ll also be in charge of the tower rising above it and a smaller spot, with developers looking for a bold, impactful design.
The plan is that the huge mural will help to turn the building into an eye-catching fixture in the city and turn the heads of Manchester’s passionate art seekers.
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The paid commission will be completed before residents move in this summer.
Neptune Mill, a 19th century building on Chapeltown Street, is currently being converted into 22,000 sq ft of creative workspaces.
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Original features like exposed brick, timber beams, huge windows and cast iron columns will be retained, along with contemporary elements.
And Capital & Centric themselves – who are also behind huge projects in Manchester like Kampus and Stockport’s Weir Mill – will be moving their HQ into the building.
As they announce the hunt for a muralist, they’ve also released a new artist impression of a lush new courtyard with outdoor seating for a ground floor coffee shop.
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A new CGI of a courtyard at Neptune Mill, Capital & Centric’s new development. Credit: Supplied
Tom Wilmot, joint managing director at Capital&Centric, said: “Manchester’s street art scene is thriving, bringing colour and creativity to the city’s streets.
“Increasingly, some of the pieces are connected to brands and only available for a short spell for people to marvel at. We want to hand over Neptune Mill to a talented artist to paint the piece they’ve always wanted to deliver, creating a permanent fixture on Manchester’s scene.
“The piece will mark the start of the building’s next chapter as a five-storey hub for businesses that want a creative, beautiful base.
“The on-site coffee shop and new courtyard will be really cool spaces where people can spend time and meet like-minded neighbouring businesses.
“Work on site’s progressing well and the first occupiers will be able to move in and call Neptune home this summer.”
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So, if you’ve got artistic flair, this could be the job for you.
Those wanting to express interest in the paid-for street art commission, new workspaces available this summer, and the opportunity to operate the coffee shop can contact: [email protected] or visit www.capitalandcentric.com/neptune-mill
Molly-Mae Hague revisits first Manchester flat, now on the market for £185k
Daisy Jackson
Molly-Mae Hague’s first Manchester flat is now on the market for £185k – and the star herself has paid a visit to her old digs.
Those who have been following Molly-Mae since before she shot to serious fame on Love Island will have recognised the backdrop of her recent TikTok video.
The 27-year-old reality TV star and businesswoman posed around the one-bedroom flat, dancing to Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘House Tour’.
The apartment is where she lived just before entering Love Island, and where she and now-fiance Tommy Fury lived briefly when they left the show.
And now that exact flat where she really launched her social media career has been listed for sale, at £185,000.
The corner apartment stands on the 17th floor of Islington Wharf, overlooking New Islington tram stop and right on the doorstep of Ancoats.
Her former landlord, who arranged for Molly-Mae to have one look around her old flat before it’s sold, said that she was a ‘lovely, polite and down-to-earth young woman, and an excellent tenant who looked after the apartment extremely well.’
The one bedroom apartment has double-aspect floor-to-ceiling windows which look across Manchester on one side, and out towards the Pennines on the other.
It’s listed for sale with no chain and the option to include existing furnishings (which seems to include the same couch Molly-Mae had at the time).
The flat also has a kitchen/living space, a communal garden, superfast broadband, and is within walking distance of Manchester Piccadilly.
New measures announced to tackle ‘rogue’ landlords across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A cohort of trained enforcement officers are set to hit the streets in all 10 boroughs to help improve the lives of the region’s renters.
Forming part of Greater Manchester‘s commitment to the highest-quality housing standards alongside the Good Landlord Charter, the newly trained enforcement officers will be tasked with protecting tenants, joining Council teams in checking rental properties, bringing enforcement action against bad landlords, and cracking down on illegal practices.
The introduction of the new enforcement officers comes after what has been ‘years of sustained pressure’ on local budgets.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) says it is working with the 10 councils across the region to strengthen local teams, rebuild in-house skills and expertise, and ensure that powers can be applied with consistency in all boroughs.
As mentioned, this is happening alongside the Good Landlord Charter – which is GMCA’s ‘bold approach’ to drive up standards for renters across the region.
Landlords of more than half of rented properties in Greater Manchester have now signed up as supporters of the Charter, and as supporters, they have committed to going above and beyond legal minimums to improve the renting experience for hundreds of thousands of people.
“A safe place to call home is the cornerstone of a happy, healthy life,” explained Mayor Bev Craig. “But for years, people have felt trapped in poor-quality housing, and cash-strapped councils were unable to step in to help. I’m putting an end to that.
“We know there are plenty of good landlords in Greater Manchester, and many of them have already signed up to our Good Landlord Charter, but too many are just not good enough.
“That’s why we’re deploying a new generation of expert housing officers onto the streets of our towns and cities.”
Mayor Bev Craig declared that she ‘won’t stand by and let rogue landlords take advantage of people’.
She continued: “By empowering renters, working with responsible landlords, and using our powers to crack down on the bad ones, I will make sure everyone in Greater Manchester has the foundation for a good life.”
The Manc -
9th April 2024 
