An inferno erupted at the building in the city centre last Monday (June 23)
An inferno erupted at the building in the city centre last Monday (June 23)(Image: MEN MEDIA)
The Hotspur Press site which was ravaged by a devastating fire in the city centre last week has been deemed ‘too unsafe’ for investigators to probe the cause of the blaze, the Manchester Evening News understands.
An inferno erupted at the building on Cambridge Street at 4.30pm on Monday (June 23), which spread to neighbouring blocks of flats and stopped railway services to and from Oxford Road station.
More than 100 residents were evacuated due to the fire, with smoke masking nearby streets. The fire service later confirmed the mill will now need to be partially demolished.
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It’s understood that the site, which was completely ravaged from the inside with parts of the roof and wall beams crumbling to the ground, remains unsafe.
Crews battled the blaze for days(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
Because of that, the authorities are unable to investigate the cause of the fire before a partial demolition takes place. The fire service is understood to be carrying out inspections of the site several times a day.
Due to delays in starting the investigation and access issues to the site, no cause is known. It is understood the council continues to monitor the site from a building control viewpoint.
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A spokesperson for MCR Property Group said: “We continue to work with our development partner Manner, alongside Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council’s Planning and Building Control teams, to manage the Hotspur Press site following the fire.
“The immediate priority has been to make the structure safe, both for the general public and to allow investigation teams to carry out their work. This process is being undertaken carefully and in stages, with every effort made to retain as much of the building as possible, in line with structural guidance.”
The building has been deemed too unsafe for investigations to commence(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
Road closures and a large scene have remained in place since the blaze in order to keep the area safe.
Manner’s plans included retaining the façade and iconic ‘Percy Brothers’ signage at the mill, which closed as a printing press in 1996 and fell into dereliction in the intervening decades.
A student tower, clad in bronze, was set to rise to a height of 36 storeys. An earlier version of the project, with the tower clad in brick, was given planning permission in May 2024.
However, work could not start because an application to list the building was submitted to the government shortly after. It was rejected in January, but was re-submitted for a review.
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