Property

The vision for Manchester’s landmark former Debenhams building

She's back!

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 29th November 2024

All of a sudden, several years after Debenhams closed in Manchester for good, work has suddenly ramped up on its landmark former home.

The magnificent Grade II-listed building overlooks the busy Market Street in Manchester city centre, and has done since 1932.

This art deco icon was home to Debenhams until the department store collapsed into administration in 2020, closing forever the following year.

Work to transform the building seemed to stall for a long time with it ending up covered in graffiti and becoming an eyesore as of last year.

But it’s now a bustling building site again and the start of its next chapter is well underway.

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The vision of developer AM Alpha is to bring this beauty back to its glory days, once again called Rylands.

The ambitious project of works will include the full redevelopment the existing building.

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The upper floors of the building are to be converted into high-quality office space, while a shopping arcade is also to be created on the ground floor.

AM Alpha has also revealed plans for a four-storey extension to be added to the current building, which would eventually mean that Rylands boasts 10 whole floors of mixed-use space for business, commercial, and leisure use.

It was initially set to complete in 2025 but that – obviously – now seems unlikely.

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But as the months tick on we’ll see new life trickle back into this significant corner of Manchester.

Read more: A look at Embassy Village as construction on Manchester’s homeless housing project begins

Featured image: AM Alpha / Rylands Manchester

Property

A historic Stockport pub has officially become a listed building

Danny Jones Danny Jones The Angel Inn pub Stockport made a grade II listed building

The Angel Inn pub in Stockport has officially become the thriving Greater Manchester borough’s latest listed building.

Being granted Grade II-listed status following an extensive visit and survey by Historic England (HE), Stockport Market Place’s Angel Inn may have had a lick of paint amidst the ‘Old Town Revival’ over the last decade or so, but the pub itself was erected back in the 16th century.

Reopened as one of the area’s most beloved boozers back in 2018, whilst still maintaining key fixtures and that feeling of authenticity, it harks back to the town’s Cheshire roots and taps into a deep vein of local culture.

The assessment, which was completed earlier this month, means that Angel Inn has been recognised as having special architectural or historic significance – i.e. the definition of a listed building.

Writing in a post on social media, the government-backed English heritage organisation detailed that while the inn predates the Early Modern/post-medieval period, the Angel‘s frame is comprised of wood from the 15th century.

But it gets even more interesting than that…

As well as being one of a select few surviving, traditional wattle-and-daub structures in the UK – nearby Bramall Hall being another (and a technique that had died out by the 18th century) – a close inspection of the internal floorboards unearthed something truly fascinating.

It just so happens that tests by HE proved that one particular plank of flooring “was cut from a tree alive in 1086, the year the Domesday Book was completed: the oldest government record held in The National Archives, commissioned by William the Conqueror.

How bloody cool is that?

It’s also worth noting that it’s genuinely a brilliant boozer and one of the most popular watering holes you’ll find in the town centre, promising a cosy interior, an intimate little outdoor area out back and serving plenty of regional ales.

angel inn stockport listed building status
You only have to glance at the exterior to clue into its age, let alone what there is to be found inside.
how old is angel inn stockport?
Way back when.
Credit: Historic England (handout)/Stockport Archives

Although they say it’s likely that the floorboard in question was originally cut for an earlier building situated in the same location, it still goes to show how old this particular North West settlement is.

“The name ‘Angel Inn’ dates from as early as 1769, though the site’s hospitality roots extend further, with references to “Cotterell’s inn” used for sequestrators’ meetings in the 1640s, who met to organise the confiscation of property of supporters of King Charles I during The English Civil War”, HE went on to add.

Angel Inn is one of only a handful of venues like this in Greater Manchester and Cheshire; safe to say a lot of time, effort and money are being put into preserving these links to the past.

You’ll find Exhibit B just down the road.

Stockport Council secure in funding £1.6 million to help fix the roof of historic Bramall Hall
The ultimate example of ‘SK is Cheshire, not Greater Manchester.’

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Featured Images — The Manc Group/Historic England (handout)/Stockport Archives

Property

The local property developers helping Mancs buy a home without the large deposit

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A North West developer that specialises in creating Shared Ownership homes currently has eight new developments under construction across Manchester.

Getting your foot on the property ladder or taking the next step to owning a bigger home can be one of the most challenging things to do and is often not financially viable for a lot of people – and this is where Gecko Homes‘ unique Shared Ownership scheme comes in.

The developer is enabling first time buyers and other qualifying homebuyers to purchase shares in its homes instead.

With deposits from as little as £2,438, the scheme means residents can buy shares ranging from 10% all the way up to 75% instead and then pay rent on the rest, with the option to increase the share percentage at later dates, all the way up to outright ownership. 

Gecko Homes is helping Mancs get on the property ladder / Credit: Supplied

As mentioned, the company is currently working on eight new developments across Manchester in some of the city’s most sought-after suburbs, and prospective buyers can now register their interest.

One of the most popular developments currently underway is ‘Tatton Place’ in Sale – which is a redevelopment of a historic Masonic Hall and police station into 31 homes, including two and three-bedroom houses, one and two-bedroom apartments, and several stunning duplexes, all with access to both private and communal gardens.

Another key development is ‘Emerald Way’ over in the popular Manchester suburban town of Chorlton, where prices start from £60,625 for a 25% share, meaning a buyer would only need a deposit of £3,031.

Over in West Didsbury is one of largest ongoing developments called ‘Two Didsbury Point’, which is a £20 million scheme of 76 affordable homes across two connected eight and five-storey blocks – 46 of those being for shared ownership – on the site of the former Withington Hospital, with an outdoor communal terrace and green spaces for residents to enjoy.

Another one of the developments currently in the works that prospective buyers can now register their interest for is ‘Boundary View’, which lies in the thriving Manchester community of Old Trafford.

“Our Shared Ownership model has transformed people’s lives by giving them a way onto the property ladder in a modern, stylish, and high-quality home that they can afford to live in,” explained Christina Tattersall, who is the Head of Sales at Gecko Homes.

Eight developments are currently underway across Manchester / Credit: Supplied

“All of our latest developments are already generating high levels of interest from local people who want to live in some of Manchester’s most popular and vibrant suburbs that all benefit from great amenities and regular transport links.

“Each development will be finished to a very high specification, with contemporary kitchens and bathrooms, as well as luxury floorings and quality fixtures and fittings throughout.”

Residents interested in any of these developments are asked to visit Gecko Homes’ website here to find out more and register their details now.

Read more:

Prices shown are based on 25% Shared Ownership and a 95% LTV mortgage. All properties are bought as leasehold, with full terms applying, and prices shown may be subject to change and are a guide only.

Featured Image – Supplied

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