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London Road Fire Station | Refurb

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#1 ·
Went inside the the courtyard today! The two images I took show the appalling state of this fantastic building! The outside looks bad, but the inside is even worse! The current owners should be ashamed of themselves!

That is disgraceful!

London Road Fire Station, Manchester
London Road, Central Manchester.
Designed and built by Woodhouse, Willoughby & Langham from 1904-1906 this fine Grade II listed building was headquarters of the Manchester City Fire Brigade for the first half of the 20th century. It also housed a police station and a coroner's court, the latter still being in operation.
This exuberant buff, terracotta and red brick building occupies a triangular plot and is located opposite Piccadilly Railway Station. The central courtyard includes a series of balconies, whose tenements were once home to 40 firemen, and a training tower. By any measure it was a well equipped and sumptuous complex, with its own library, stables, bank and gymnasium.
A fine baroque building, which presently is under utilised and awaiting a major cleaning and refurbishment. It was in continued occupation until the late 1980s, but its future is presently unknown, despite several plans to convert the building to another function, including one abortive plan to make it into a hotel.
Taken today!







 
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#1,006 ·
Important news.

We applied to be on the National Campaign Against Delinquent Owners and have been accepted, which will mean MPs, lobbyists, experts, access to small grants for London Road Fire Station.

LRFS is one of ten national icons accepted as an exemplar for the necessity for legislative change to protect unique Listed Heritage.

The initiative is being pioneered by Locality and Jericho Road. They will act as mediators and independent advisor's to both us and Manchester City Council, who they hope to be able to engage with.

The leading CPO Expert Stan Edwards is offering his services to the campaign and will assist parties with advice in the current legal system, while Jess Steele a leader of many national charities will be lobbying for the changes in legislation which has increasing Westminster support.

Soon, we will have our AGM on 31st July and a fabulous live music night to fundraise for an October conference with partners in higher education and charities.

We hope, Manchester City Council will engage with all of these moves towards the revival and saving of London Road Fire Station.

More soon (busy on many campaigns)! x
 
#1,009 ·
Well a lot of people fear this. We are investigating MAKING MCC protect LRFS with H&S laws as so vulnerable. Hope no-one is that evil and knows the building is being watched closely.

We have been on itv Granada North west this morning. Watch out for more later in the day! http://www.itv.com/news/granada/upd...ife-into-one-of-manchesters-finest-buildings/

They are taking a bigger piece later in the year. On holiday so missed my TV opp but oh well! Don't wanna crack the set.

However newsletter below and please do support our BIG BAND fundraiser for the October conference at Joshua Brooks on Thursday 31st July. £5 for 5 big acts.

Hoping MCC will engage in October conference and will very publicly be asking for their support. To not engage with the National CADO experts or our meetings will be unforgivable and hope this will NOT be the case (especially when 3.5m to waste on Leese's Folly).

Hopefully this exposure will force the hands for a better strategy and to use legal powers properly and lobby for change at last!!!!!

____________________________________________________
Dear Friends of London Road Fire Station

We are excited to inform you of the latest updates to our campaign, what we are working towards and how you can support us in the coming months.

Campaign Against Difficult Ownership

London Road Fire Station has been accepted as one of ten buildings across the UK as an exemplar for the urgent need to change British legislation for At Risk listed heritage. Our application to the National Campaign Against Delinquent Ownership, run by Locality and Jericho Road, means our campaign will have access to experts and impartial advice in the future.

We were chosen from among many because of the importance of this building as a prime example of unique heritage. LRFS was, after all, called the ‘Finest Fire Station in the Round World’ and so we are glad to have made these important connections to a national campaign.

October conference

We are working towards lining up experts, workshops, debates and political leaders to attend our October LRFS SoS Conference. We will be in touch with more details soon about how this important event unfolds.

Live music “Same Old Story?” fundraiser

HUGE live music Manchester fundraiser “Same Old Story” for the iconic At Risk London Road Fire Station. A Greater Manchester Fringe Festival Event. Tickets ONLY £5.

Empire Signal, described by City Life as “stadium fillers in waiting”
Factory Acts, an electronic duo “at the edge of the analogue-digital divide”
The Fourth Circle “inspired psychedelic rock”
The Bones, a beautiful new acoustic duo.
Additional entertainment will be provided by Rachele Whatever, who will perform her political punk poetic music, with Kelly Blue on DJ duties.

We will be raising funds for the October SoS Solutions conference, to pay for expert participation to end this 28-year stalemate.

We also hope to be joined by Ancoats Dispensary campaigners to see if their application for £6 million to save that building has been successful.

Share this event in this Facebook link here.

Friends 1st anniversary Annual General Meeting

Before the fundraiser on Thursday 31 July, at 5:30pm – 7pm we will have our first AGM at the Mechanics Centre, 103 Princess Street, in the upstairs bar.

We will discuss what we have done so far, what we still need to achieve and what we have raised. We will be outlining new initiatives. As members of the campaign, we seek your involvement - below we highlight ways in which you can help the campaign develop.

We seek a Treasurer, Membership Secretary and other roles.

Help Needed!
· Can you help volunteer to lead a project to help save this icon?
· Do you have experience in writing grant bids?
· Do you have professional skills that could make a difference to this stalemate?
· Could you write a blog post or offer us a story about your family’s history with LRFS?
· Could you offer graphics and art for the campaign?
· Do you have visions or ideas as to what LRFS can be?
· Can you help photograph events?

Please get in touch with any ideas or ways you can help! Email us at info@londonroadfire.org

We will also be holding an exhibition at the end of July and beginning of August at the Peoples History Museum where we will also be offering talks about the Fire Station and the campaign. Do join us!

We hope these events will lead to finding pioneering solutions that can start to resolve the 28-year stalemate over the future of London Road Fire Station.

This is a people’s campaign so we also urge you to write to your councillor or MP or attend their advice surgery to tell them why this campaign is important to you and to Manchester!

We, and Manchester, need your support to rescue this great icon before it is lost to neglect - there will be no going back if that happens. It must be saved for Manchester, so please help us in any way you can!

Yours sincerely

Adam Prince
Secretary of London Road Fire Station on behalf of the Friends Campaign
www.londonroadfire.org
https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofLRFS
@manfirestation
 
#1,010 ·
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/ccgt3w8u0bgsd4w/Richard+Leese+Radio+Mcr+5-Aug-14.mp3

Richard Leese 'teases' developments in the Autumn for LRFS on Allan Beswick show today - MP3 above. We are on Thursday morning radio and meeting with the Council and the CADO/ Locality campaign soon.

Hoping not just more 'Britannia Hotels promises', a one choice developer (SRL's 'mates') with no public engagement for the optimal models and choices.

Would love for it to be a new CPO giving ample opportunity for the lowest cost for the developers and to encourage many visions to be involved.

Still aiming for 25th October SoS conference and getting experts and as many developers involved as possible.

Virgin have been really polite on the phone with us and spoke to the Property Portfolio office. The Worldwide CEO of Hotels/ Leisure favourited our Tweet... I do wonder if MCC look further than their backyard.

Hoping good news, but remain cynical. It could relate to the developer we know were in talks with Britannia. Perhaps Britannia just sick of being evil, arrogant b***ards and will give it up (before a change in the law which will take years)!

So 'expect news' in the autumn! Maybe.
 
#1,019 ·
The only time Pickles hangs his head at all is into the trough of the subsidised food and drink at the House of Commons bars and canteens.
We can afford to subsidise this obviously needy individual and his equally obnoxious pals to the tune of around £6 million a year but have to sack the part time cooks at our GM fire stations to save money, all in it together? pull the other one David.
 
#1,022 ·
Excellent development; and I'm sure substantially due to the sterlng work by moveupandon.

it also seems that changes to EU rules make it much easier for public money to be grant-aded to support restoration of cultural assets to heritage standards.

Which in turn makes conversion by someone other than Britannia more commerically viable; as there is a clear market opportunity for a premium quality boutique-type hotel in this location.

Plus the valid issue of HS2-related regeneration strategy for the area requiring a resolution to this under-used historic building.

But this is only the beginning; we can be sure that Langsam will seek to make contrary applications for new schemes; will lie through his teeth about
his intentions; and will seek to personalise the whole issue as discriminatory action by Bernstein and Manchester City Council.
 
#1,027 ·
Wouldn't surprise me if the council have been talking to Osborne who has in turn convinced Pickles & assured the council a CPO will be accepted this time. The council wouldn't CPO a second time without being 99.9% the govt will support them. If they have no assurance from the govt then that is just reckless & they are not fit for office if they are risking taxpayers money like that.
 
#1,031 · (Edited)
Sorry never get round to posting much on here these days. Seeking big public debates soon when time is ripe.

Would anyone who could help us develop CAD files for LRFS get in touch info@londonroadfire.org as we have a grant that we may be able to pay from? We need to decide best course of action, but help and offers would be welcome.

Also please share this letter around if you can? We have had some interest from developers behind the scenes and the dream would be a bidding war for LRFS during CPO enabling public involvement in influencing the best redevelopment. http://goo.gl/aXDM2Z

Britannia Hotels (Which UK's worst chain) report 60% fall in profits. In contrast there's a noticeable rise in Manchester's economy and industries. English Heritage CEO warns the group. Estimates of 5 - 15 million worth of damage, let's hope they are gone with this new CPO without appeal. They are lucky law doesn't jail them for years of neglect, abuse and deterioration and meeting English Heritage again soon (sadly a great leaders and supporter has changed role, so need to establish new relationship). See http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/north-west/126260-rising-costs-hit-hotel-group-britannia/

Let's hope they do not appeal. We find out 17th November what is happening... We hope the campaign has influence for best outcome and some civic/ public access use for a multi purpose building.




screen capture tool
 
#1,033 ·
So of course we've all seen the headlines of Which Worst Hotel Britannia, the second year in a row. Their profit losses. That English Heritage have called LRFS 1/5 most important At Risk buildings in UK that need to be developed.

They need to leave, but we all fear wildcards from Britannia. We also know if public consultation and architectural participation minimal, it can lead to very bad planning decisions! The hope of FoLRFS is to be involved in influencing and the debate around the revival of this At Risk Icon.

This is a VERY rough idea I made today for LRFS and will be developed and many other variations can begin in what we hope will be a big public discussion.

I know you are all very open and honest on here. Forgive my basic PC skills and anyone who might want to revamp for me, please do email info@londonroadfire.org

So 17th November we find out the state of play and hope to be working with media for debates and involvement.

See this premise that could meet private, public access, business and community functions. Do offer your feedback too



Or have a go or make your own model PLEASE!!!! Clearly I am not an architect but ideas are based on 200 people research we undertook.

Of course more is welcome in terms of visions, ideas, research and so on. It's an everyday's people campaign so help more than welcome

 
#1,034 ·
Hi moveupandon, I'll have a look at the model when I get to my computer but there's a couple of bits of you post that I don't understand.

What do you mean by wildcards from Britannia? I don't understand the wildcard term in this context.

And what is happening on the 17th?

Cheers
 
#1,035 ·
thanks. Really kind.

By wildcard just meaning committee nervous about what defences Britannia might make if a CPO. Or even if there is a get out clause that they do not need to redevelop and ways to get around a new CPO in terms of legal defence.

Basically a CPO will be announced on 17 November if Britannia have not signed legal declaration that they will immediately redevelop as a hotel.

But as we all know the legal department at MCC can get things very wrong (e.g. Library Walk stopping up notice, last CPO etc).

Basically an important time for public to show they care for Icon and if Britain in appeal need the arguments and support to rebuff them.

Any ideas, reconfiguration or visions greatly appreciated.

Best for now
 
#1,036 ·
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...ews/watch-video-shows-derelict-london-8106905


The owners of one of Manchester’s landmark London Road Fire Station have just seven days to prove it has plans to revive the building - or town hall bosses will attempt to prise it off them.

More than 5,000 people have now backed council plans to forcibly buy the crumbling architectural gems, we can reveal.

The Edwardian building, opposite Piccadilly Station, has been owned by Britannia Hotels since 1986 and has since stood undeveloped, to the mounting fury of campaigners and Manchester council chiefs. It is on English Heritage’s list of most ‘at risk’ treasures.

The council failed in its last bid to get a Compulsory Purchase Order it in 2011 - but Britannia promised it would take action.

Yet one former contractor says the stunning building is falling apart inside.

He told the M.E.N. that doors had been smashed off their hinges and there were huge holes in the floor, while the third floor is piled high with ‘junk’.

Pictures taken from above by the M.E.N. show broken windows and plants growing out of the brickwork.

Three years after losing the last CPO bid, the council last month gave Britannia until November 17 to sign a legally-binding agreement before it launched a second attempt

But the M.E.N. understands the company has not responded - and public support for a takeover is mounting.
 
#1,039 ·
http://goo.gl/nZIbwN

Dear Sir Howard Bernstein, Sir Richard Leese, Manchester City Council Planning Committee and interested parties

Open Letter: Friends of London Road Fire Station Petition and public letter calling for a public debate for best outcomes

We are delighted to present you with our petition of 5,350 signatures as at today, Friday 14 November 2014. We have attached the spreadsheet of all signatures to this email and you can also download it from this link here. (NB the number of signatories is continuing to rise, however.)

Our campaign has always been for a multi-use sympathetic redevelopment and for architectural participation models for the best outcomes for the city, with genuine public consultation, dialogue and involvement. We sincerely hope that the previous lack of public involvement in the last CPO is now to be rectified and given priority.

In light of today’s news and our knowledge from insiders regarding the current state of the building, we ask for urgent action to protect the building from fire risk and vandalism. We suggest ongoing monitoring of CCTV around the building, fire alarms to be fitted throughout and the removal of the dangerous debris within. Manchester City Council already has powers to enforce matters such as urgent repairs - we request immediate implementation of monitoring and damage prevention.

The petition was started two years ago and has always advocated the mixed use, public access, community and business functions that can make this building’s future both viable and great. On behalf of our 150 members, we ask for dialogue and for Manchester’s talent pool and public to be valued in making the best redevelopment possible for the entrance to Manchester Piccadilly - a symbolic gateway of civic pride and cultural ambition.

We fully support a new Compulsory Purchase Order and ask for a cohesive, responsive, determined and authentic response in the redevelopment process, in planning decisions that work with, rather than estranged from the people of Manchester. This letter has also been sent to potential developers we believe can bring serious gravitas to the development plans during and after the CPO, alongside any chosen by the city council.

We look forward to working with working with you and for the public interest in this vital piece of Manchester’s architectural heritage be proven and won, once and for all.

Yours sincerely

Adam Prince
Secretary of Friends of London Road Fire Station, petition founder
info@londonroadfire.org
www.londonroadfire.org
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/manchesters-london-road-fire-station-standing-up/
 
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