Manchester’s iconic Old Granada Studios are set to be fully redeveloped into a new creative, digital and cultural hub at St. John’s after receiving planning permission.
Allied London’s revised application to retain and refurbish the original television studios was approved late last week by Manchester City Council.
The 02, 06, 08 and 12 studios will be retained and refurbished to provide a unique suite of multi-functional filming, production and studio facilities.
All Studios, Allied London’s studios business, will operate the space and has already enticed Peaky Blinders, Safe, Wanderlust and Snatch to film at the studios. Modular workspaces will be developed to foster the growth of start-ups and the new spaces will be linked by an arcade known as the M1 corridor.
“This is a second consent for the building and is important as it will enable us to now realise our more defined and focused plans to revive the former home of ITV and transform the iconic studios in to a new creative, digital and cultural hub,” said Allied London CEO Michael Ingall.
He added: “Our vision with St. John’s and the unique inventory at Enterprise City is to build a sustainable new creative, tech and digital cluster for Manchester.”
A new nine-storey building will replace the old annex building and will consist of retail units, workspace and residential space.
Allied London breathed new life into to the Old Granada Studios when it acquired the site in 2013, creating co-working spaces, and populating the vacant workspace, F&B and studios with new tenants, many of whom will relocate to the Bonded Warehouse, also part of St. John’s, Enterprise City.
Construction is set to begin in June 2018.