Manchester's Fire Station site attracts worldwide interest

Significant global interest has been shown in Manchester's controversial London Road Fire Station site, which was put up for sale by Britannia Hotels in April.

The Grade II-listed property has been at the centre of a long-running dispute between Britannia and Manchester City Council due to the failure of the hotel group to develop the site. Britannia Hotels, which acquired the Edwardian baroque style building in 1986, is looking to achieve substantial offers in excess of £10m.

Planning and listed building consent has been granted for the conversion and extension of the property to a 227-bedroom hotel with associated facilities, across more than 13,000 sq m of real estate, including restaurants, bar facilities and function spaces.

The sale of the property is being handled by Christie + Co. Jeremy Jones, head of UK hotels brokerage at Christie + Co, said that Manchester's international standing as a key UK city has resulted in interest in the site from the US, the Middle East and China.

"Its business, sporting, music and leisure pedigrees are known the world over and there will never be another property quite like this to come to market in Manchester, or perhaps even the UK," he said.

A spokesperson for Manchester City Council added: "We are pleased to learn of the wide ranging interest in the Fire Station which will hopefully lead to a high quality refurbishment and its return to economic use in the near future."

Further interested parties are due to visit the site this month, with Christie + Co expecting to call for bids at the end of June or early July.

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