Property

Heritage railway arches in Manchester city centre to undergo £3.7m transformation by HOME arts centre

'These arches are part of our heritage which have sat unloved and underused for many years.'

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 27th March 2023

A section of the iconic railway arches along Whitworth Street is set to be refurbished into a brand-new development space for up-and-coming local artists under HOME.

Having existed as a recognisable part of the city’s rich transport and architectural heritage for as long as we can remember, three of the familiar archways situated on Whitworth Street West are now about to be given a new lease of life which will also help support Manchester’s beloved arts community.

Coming under the HOME theatre and arts umbrella with the work being carried out by the North West arm of Robertson Construction, the transformation is set to start fairly soon and is scheduled to be completed by May 2024.

Sitting between Whitworth Street West and HOME’s main arts building at Tony Wilson Place, which has been a popular cinema, gallery and restaurant since 2015, the new development centre will provide a space and vital resources for artists of all ages, disciplines and stages in their careers. Wonderful stuff.

Costing £3.7m, the goal of the ‘HOME Arches’ project is not only to give the Whitworth Street West Arches some much-needed TLC, but to help nurture, attract and retain creative talent in Manchester by providing them with a high-quality, low-cost rehearsal and training space.

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Moreover, being connected to the ever-thriving First Street district will further strengthen it as a well-known and go-to city centre destination for artists and visitors alike.

Funding for the renovation was secured back in 2021 following a £2.3m government grant, with a further £0.9m contribution from Manchester City Council and around £0.5m from HOME themselves, who are helping cover some post-construction costs.

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The Arches project is part of a wider £20m redevelopment plan under the national Levelling Up fund, with the bulk of the £17.5m scheme seeing the Upper Campfield and Lower Campfield Market buildings (both Grade II-listed structures) lovingly transformed into a new tech, media and creative industries hub.

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Issuing a statement following the announcement, Director and CEO of HOME, Dave Moutrey said they are delighted to provide “meaningful, additional creative space for artists” and allow them to “grow the work that we do with artists in the North West, across theatre, film, visual art and digital works”.

As for the Council itself, leader Bev Craig said: “These arches are part of our heritage which have sat unloved and underused for many years. This scheme is bringing them back to life with a very modern purpose – complementing the thriving cultural economy in our city.

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“Culture has a huge role to play in the success of our city and its people – creatively, for health and well-being and economically. This project will enhance this part of the city centre, create new jobs and further strengthen Manchester’s cultural ecosystem.”

We can’t wait to see how the new historic railway arches look under the loving stewardship of HOME and see the impact it makes on local creativity and culture.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — Supplied

Property

This Manchester suburb has just been named one of the UK’s ‘happiest’ places to live in 2024

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Didsbury named one of the best places to live in the UK

An annual poll has named the Manchester suburb of Didsbury spot among 70 locations said to be the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.

Greater Manchester has got lots to say for itself, especially with its diverse and unique cultural landscapes, as well as various vibrant communities, so it comes as no surprise that one of our beautiful suburbs has been voted in a list of the UK’s happiest places to live for this year.

The survey included submissions from 5,000 people and there’s a lot of love being shown to the neighbouring areas of Yorkshire like Doncaster, Bingley, and Harrogate – the lattermost placed in second in the entire country.

But, ranking 62nd out of a possible 70 places, the distinct and vibrant area of Didsbury has been noticed by Furniturebox as one of the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.

Credit: The Manc Group

The results took into consideration good state schools, affordable housing, as well as accessibility to pubs, bars, restaurants, independent shops, retailers and more.

With multiple parks, walking destinations, and top-notch travel links with Bee Network trams and buses easily taking you back into the city centre and out to other boroughs, East, West and Didsbury Village all remain some of the most sought-after areas in the region.

There’s a whole host of indie retailers to enjoy, especially on the likes of the main high street and Burton Road, which effectively serves as its own cultural district, home to vintage clothing shops like Steranko, tailored styling opticians Fox Brothers and much more.

Burton Rd also boasts countless fantastic food and drink spots like The Great Kathmandu, SANTÉ, Volta and Proove Pizza, just to name a few; we’ve spent plenty of time just on this stretch of Didsbury alone.

If you’ve spent even a little time in Dids, you’ll know there’s plenty going on and it’s certainly one our happiest places in all of Greater Manchester and therefore the UK.

You can also enjoy the famous ‘Didsbury Dozen’ right on your doorstep.

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Elsewhere, and somewhat unsurprisingly, Shakespeare’s ever-romanticised hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon once again reigned supreme at the top of this list.

That being said, it’s refreshing to see that these locations weren’t entirely related to wealth and similar factors, the survey took affordability into careful consideration.

Cheshire was destined for success with its cracking views and grand properties, as the North West county made waves for the region managing to place in fifth position, holding up against Falmouth in Cornwall which placed in sixth.

Although not nabbing that all-important top spot, Didsbury is carrying the flag for 0161 and showing what all know to be true: Northerners do it best.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – The Manc Group

Property

Fancy living on one of Manchester’s most-sought after streets?

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Quick! A house on one of Manchester’s most sought-after streets has just gone up for sale and by owning it you can be a part of living history.

Anita Street near Ancoats is a real-life time capsule transporting residents and passers-by back to the 19th century.

Originally branded ‘Sanitary Street’ over the years the road has lost the ‘S’ and ‘ry’ parts of its name, making it sound much more homely.

The houses on this street were trailblazers back in the day, becoming the first council-owned housing to have a sewage system and indoor plumbing in Manchester, hence its old title.

Anit
A glimpse inside the communal living space at the Anita Street property.
Credit: Goodwin Fish (via Rightmove)

Now, you can get involved with creating your own future on this street with a listing for a house on this popular street uploaded at the start of this month.

The property, which is a spacious two-bedroom maisonette with parking, has a guide price of offers over £310,000.

The floor plan for this living space displays a very practical set-up with both bedrooms on the left-hand side and facilities such as the bathroom and kitchen on the right.

As you enter through the front door there is a corridor running through the whole property with a communal living room and second bedroom at the end of the hall-esque walkway.

anita street ancoats
The modern and sleek bathroom at Anita Street.
anita street properties manchester
Snug kitchen set-up at Anita Street.
With interiors like this to boot, it’s not hard to see why it’s one of Manchester’s most sought-after streets. (Credit: Rightmove)

This rare find is even available to first-time buyers or anyone looking for a buy-to-let opportunity in a location that has gained quite a big reputation for itself.

Although the exterior street and attached houses are very much original to their 1897 foundations, the surrounding areas offer a handful of cute vendors to visit and enjoy.

Whether you’re a coffee aficionado or pizza lover, being so close to Ancoats will come in handy with coffee shops and one of the OG Rudy‘s so close by.

It’s not the only property to have been recently listed on this rich road positively dripping with heritage.

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So whether you fancy your chances at bidding for this property in a stunning location or you’re just a nosy parker, you can have a look HERE.

You can also watch our Short Stuff on the historic Manchester street down below:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Rightmove

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