Demolition work has begun on a historic Grade II listed church in Ancoats. Pictures from the site show sections of All Souls Church on Every Street torn down on Monday (October 5).
Building's decline and complaints
The works follow complaints from residents about the state of the building, which has become dilapidated over the years. The church was built in 1840 and is believed to have closed in the 1980s.
It was used as a joinery workshop for a short while after, but has since fallen into disuse. Last month, the Manchester Evening News spoke to residents living around the building who said they had made complaints about its deteriorating condition, describing it as an “eyesore”.
Heritage register and council response
In 2003, the building was placed on SAVE Britain's Heritage's Buildings at Risk register. The group is a charity that campaigns for the preservation of threatened historical buildings in the country.
Residents also raised concerns about overgrown vegetation, vermin and the risk of parts of the building collapsing. In an update, Manchester City Council told the MEN: "The Council is attempting to find the correct responsible person for the site, with a view to pushing them to undertake a structural survey ASAP (the Council will do our own) and report back with a plan."
The property is privately owned, so the Council needs to at least give the responsible person or organisation reasonable time. But if this isn't forthcoming quickly the Council will step in and commission safety works in lieu to ensure the building isn't a risk to the public - and the cost of these works will be recharged to the owner.
Next steps and road closure
The council went on to say that "planning and building control officers are convening tomorrow to agree next steps if the building owner doesn't respond in a timely manner". The road closure also remains in place "until the building can be considered safe by Building Control".
