A derelict landmark symbolising Manchester’s industrial history could be bulldozed after developers failed to find a use for it.
Ancoats Dispensary, which dates from the 1870s, is the only building remaining from the iconic Ancoats Hospital site.
Developers Urban Splash have asked Manchester council for permission to demolish the Grade II listed neo-Gothic building after a plan to save it failed. The building is in a poor state and would require up to £3m to improve to modern standards.
The North West Development Agency had planned to plough in a grant to save the facade of the building, but this was scrapped when the agency folded last year. Even turning it into low-quality offices would require a £200,000 investment for emergency repairs.
Heritage Works, a charity which specialises in finding new ways to preserve old buildings, carried out a study to see if it could drum up interest in the building.
But despite a number of organisations coming forward, the cost of maintaining the dispensary put them off.
The hospital started life in 1828 as the Ardwick and Ancoats Dispensary on Great Ancoats Street. It moved to Mill Street in 1869 and was built to serve the influx of people who came to Ancoats during the city’s industrial hey-day.
An interior scene of the building was painted in 1952 by L S Lowry in his work Ancoats Hospital Outpatients' Hall.
Its casualty department was closed in 1987, sparking protests from local residents who staged a waiting room sit-in. The hospital finally closed fully in 1996 and the dispensary is the only remaining building.
An Urban Splash spokesman said: “We have tried very hard to find a solution to save the dispensary, but unfortunately that has not been possible so we have taken the reluctant decision to submit an application for listed building consent to demolish the remains of the building.
"This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but is a consequence of some incredibly difficult circumstances, including the withdrawal of an NWDA grant last year which would have funded shell repairs, and the fact that the building is in a dangerous condition.
"We remain open-minded whilst the application is in process and would welcome an approach from anyone who can bring forward a credible and deliverable proposal which will save the dispensary.”
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A hotel linked with Man City?
A hotel linked with Man City?
Another fantastic building removed from Manchester - Urban Splash don't want to find a use for it because a block of posh flats will earn them more money. Urban Splash has tried even to re-name Ancoats by calling it New Islington.
It is money-men greed. They have no care or concern for our community.
demolish the internal sections but retain the external facade. then you can accomodate more modern internal room dimensions but retain the exterior and thur preserving an historic piece of manchester.
its been done all over the city already.
I was in that sit - in, in the '80s.....
Urban Trash.
Some buildings are beautiful, yours are not.
We will look back in thirty years time and ask, in 2000-2020 how did we allow so much **** to be built, in a repeat of the mistakes of the 60s and 70s.
Same old trickery.
Take one listed building.
Leave to rot without maintenance for years.
Declare it unsafe or uneconomic to repair.
Demolish and replace with modern crap that makes more profit.
History repeats itself, again.
Urban Splash will probably say in these tough economic times - it does nae stack up any more !
Which means it probably won't make the optimum margin they want - but it'll still make money. Another Manchester landmark bites the dust to secure the bonus of Billy Builder.
He's got his expensive golf club fees, expensive season tickets, etc etc to cover.
If it's got to come down they should rebuild the facade with every feature faithfully reproduced.
No more funky, state of the art , cutting edge etc etc shoe boxes please
Oh goodie!
I can't wait to see yet more steel and glass on the horizon!
IIf they get their way there will be nothing left of merit in Ancoats , even St Michaels lays empty.
Why is it the answer to everything that is done in manchester? demolish everything in sight.This would never happen in london .
Ancoats used to be called New Islington didn't it?! That'll be why they chose that name.I prefer Ancoats.
£3 million is nothing in overall development terms and Urban splash should hold their heads in shame. Any good things they have done in the past would be blown away if this building is lost.
How many people who own Urban Slash(sorry splash)are actually from Manchester?.Ancoats will always be Ancoats not some poncy name from London. Go away and demolish some other city.
Why dos'nt this suprise!!!
The dispensary was supposed to be turned into project offices for the new islington development, but due to bad financial and project management the first phase of the project.."chips" went massivly over budget! thus rendering it a mill stone around the neck of US,the NWDA pumped money into chips to try and keep it afloat,yet it still has not made money .......This comes as no suprise that they want to demolish it as there is nobody within the organisation with the skill or aptitude to carry out this project and that starts at the top and goes all the way down....first the dispensary then it will be the mill backing onto the chips site.!!
Us couldnt run a bath !!!!
The New Islington website: ‘But we are also sensitive of the need to preserve the soul of the people who have lived here for generations.’
There were three historic buildings left on the New Islington site. How have the feared under this millennium project and the stewardship of some of the fêted developers and there army of professionals?
The Cob o’ Coal. Quote again ’It’s retention is as much symbolic as anything else and we want it to be a watering hole which is a central focus for the community.”
Progress? Not secure , not protected and despite being brick and minutes from major fire station so badly burnt one night that was demolished. Appears new houses being built on site – the scheme is called ‘The Guts’. As in kick in the...
Ancoats Dispensary – Iconic grade 2 building – scene of Lowry paintings. Look on the net just a few years ago still have a roof and its walls looked a lot more secure than the busted relic we see today. Small for sale sign .... no takers so bulldoze it.... to be replaced by what? Maybe a car park in the interim?
Stubbs Mill. Quote again ‘ Stubbs Mill is a small but beautiful building next to the Ashton Canal in New Islington. To Be used for loft apartments and officers.
Progress? Crumbling away. Personally witnessed the gate to the site flapping wide open recently so is it secure? Now has a small sign saying for sale just as the dispensary had before today’s announcement.
Three building to look after amongst the millions spent on canals, fancy street lights, etc etc and complete shut out – they will soon be all gone.
The New Islington website: ‘But we are also sensitive of the need to preserve the soul of the people who have lived here for generations.’
There were three historic buildings left on the New Islington site. How have the feared under this millennium project and the stewardship of some of the fêted developers and there army of professionals?
The Cob o’ Coal. Quote again ’It’s retention is as much symbolic as anything else and we want it to be a watering hole which is a central focus for the community.”.
Progress? Not secure , not protected and despite being brick and minutes from major fire station so badly burnt one night that was demolished. Appears new houses being built on site – the scheme is called ‘The Guts’.
Ancoats Dispensary – Iconic grade 2 building – scene of Lowry paintings. Look on the net just a few years ago still have a roof and its walls looked a lot more secure than the busted relic. Small for sale sign .... no takers so bulldoze it.... to be replaced by what?
Stubbs Mill. Quote again ‘ Stubbs Mill is a small but beautiful building next to the Ashton Canal in New Islington’. To Be used for loft apartments and officers.
Progress? Crumbling away. Now has a small sign saying for sale just as the dispensary had before today’s announcement. Looks hopeless
Three building to look after amongst the millions spent on canals, fancy street lights, etc etc and complete shut out – they will soon be all gone.
Who owns the Lowry painting of Ancoats Hospital - its sale could potentially finance the refurbishment of the lovely but derelict Dispensary ?
Join the facebook page to help stop the building being demolished - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-ancoats-hospital/195596477164837?v=wall
Manchester's history is what makes it different. The industrial era is surely what Manchester is famous for and what tourists would love to see, not more modern structures which any city has. These kind of building MUST be kept. They're what give the city character and history.
How come the city council are not trying to CPO this building like they are with the London Road Fire Station? This one looks far more at risk and Urban Splash want to knock it down! At least the owners of the Fire Station are offering to develop their building but for some reason the city council are going after them. - Seems like double standards.