‘I feel like this is just going to be disastrous for us’
06:30, 10 Dec 2025Updated 06:58, 10 Dec 2025
Urgent repair work is set to begin on the Royal Exchange building in the city centre and is expected to take eight weeks
As Christmas approaches, a Manchester city centre business says it has been left fearing for the future after scaffolding went up outside their historic building. This week, the owners of the Grade I-listed Royal Exchange, on Exchange Street, told shop owners a series of significant external repair requirements are in need of urgent attention.
A letter explained the full works were expected to take around eight weeks to complete. But businesses say they are now concerned they will struggle to survive until the end of the year.
Work began on the Old Bank Street side of the building this week, and will implement one elevation at a time. It will see scaffolding covering the ground level of the affected area up to the Exchange floor, with property management saying it would not cover the full building.
Shop owners on the street told the Manchester Evening News it has come at the ‘worst possible time’ for them in the build-up to Christmas, and criticised what they described as a lack of clarity over the works required.
They say a letter dated Monday, December 8, informed them that work would begin yesterday (December 9), with management adding ‘we appreciate that this is short notice’. One business, Yards Store, has claimed to the M.E.N. that they were not initially told of a date when work would begin.
On Monday morning, staff turned up to find construction workers and building equipment on the street as they prepared to begin erecting scaffolding. It is understood that the work was scheduled based on independent and professional advice, which stated it needed to be done urgently.
Yards Store, which is run by owner Rob Frost, has been in their city centre location for six years and has become known for its menswear and fashion, including items from brands like Left Hand, New Balance, and Fjällräven.
The works has begun today with scaffolding on Old Bank Street(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
“A lot of our trade is done at Christmas, there’s one business here who has told me they take more than 70% of their trade at this time of year,” Mark Brownhill, an advisor on behalf of Yard Store and owner Rob Frost, told the M.E.N. “We understand that they’re going to have to do this and it’s not going to be ideal for any of us, but to do it at this time of year?”
Helix Property Management, behind the Royal Exchange, said they will maintain access to the street during works to ensure ‘trading activities are not adversely affected’. In the letter, the company told businesses they will also implement ‘clear signage to help minimise any disruption’.
For Yards Store, and the other businesses near-by, the two weeks before Christmas are most valuable and could help keep them covered throughout what will already be a quiet January. “If you put scaffolding in the street, people are not going to walk through here, whether there are signs or not,” he explains.
“We are one of only three stores with our lights on, and it means that we will get a big dip in passing trade. It is already hard for small businesses today, and I feel like this is just going to be disastrous for us. With something like this, we’re really going to struggle to survive through Christmas.”
The advisor also suggests that work is unlikely to take place throughout the full run of holidays, which he believes means the work could potentially have waited until the start of January when it could begin without pause. “If it’s that dangerous then they need to do whatever it takes urgently, of course,” Mark says, “but it seems that they are only going to be doing a fraction of the work that’s required – with other aspects of the building waiting until Christmas.
The repair work is understood to take around eight weeks to complete
“We understand that they will put the scaffolding up now before waiting until January anyway to begin the work itself. We can’t help but feel like we may have been singled-out for this because we are independent and smaller than some of the bigger businesses here.”
Reiterating his point, Mark says the store is not against the work taking place – especially if they must take place now during the busiest time due to urgency – but he said the way its been handled has caused him stress. “It’s the mixed messaging and the lack of clarity from the property management that has upset us the most,” he says. “It feels like they haven’t been fully upfront with us.”
A spokesperson for the Manchester Royal Exchange told the M.E.N today: “These maintenance works are essential not only for the upkeep of the building but also to ensure the health and safety of the public, our occupiers, and staff. This is our top priority.
“We understand how important the Christmas trading period is for our tenants, and we are doing everything possible to minimise disruption during this time. Scaffolding has been carefully positioned around each unit to maintain access, and we’ve partnered with a supplier to provide clear signage for all occupiers to help reduce any inconvenience.”
In a statement to the M.E.N, a spokesperson for Manchester City Council added: “Christmas is an important time for city centre businesses and while building works – particularly buildings that could pose a risk to public safety – may need to continue, these should be balanced to make sure businesses can continue to operate as unhindered as possible.”