New Century Hall, a Manchester food hall that has struggled commercially, is set for a major revamp including a new live music space, a pizza venue, and a bar. The venue, located near Victoria station, submitted its plans to Manchester City Council in July.
Commercial Viability Concerns
A report accompanying the planning application stated that the food hall 'has not proven commercially viable', prompting the venue to take a new approach. Planning documents explained: 'While the venue has successfully hosted events and performances, the day-to-day food hall operation has struggled due to the scale and character of the space and the building's location slightly removed from the primary retail and leisure core of the city centre.'
The proposed changes include 'creating two independently operable yet connected venues capable of supporting a wider range of activities throughout the week.' The new layout will 'focus on live music' alongside hosting a programme of gigs and private hire events.
Plans for a 450-Capacity Music Venue
It was reported in May that the new music space could fit up to 450 people for gigs, and that the space would be separated by a sound-proofed partition wall. Planning reports continued: 'It will be a mid-sized room with the flexibility to be a band's first gig venue, a place for the college students to hone their talents, a private party hire, a new community hub for the area.'
New Century is based in the grade II-listed New Century Hall building. The venue reopened in 2022 after a £10m revamp of the 1963-dated building, which was first built for use as offices and a conference hall.
Decision Timeline and Location Context
The planning application is set to be decided by mid-September, while the deadline for a consultation on the plans will pass this week. New Century sits in the NOMA area of central Manchester, part of the city where just a short distance away new apartment blocks have been built for growing numbers of people looking to call Manchester home.
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