CITY CENTRE NORTHEAST MANCHESTER BUILDING BOOM & Ancoats Apartment Viewing

[@davdep]

Watching your videos of Manchester makes me want to live there !

[@peterkelly8357]

don't get too excited

[@gsmp3744]

keep calm

[@deejaydoubleyou1966]

I live in Bury and it’s 7 miles straight line into Manchester. I spend lots of time cycling around the centre and discovering hidden places and watching the city growing. I’ve been doing it for over 20 years so I’m loving this channel it’s almost made with me in mind!!!… also I go for a beer often and have done every old school proper pub and most of the others. Great city, never get bored of sitting having a coffee or beer and watching the world go by. Keep up the great work.

[@AidanEyewitness]

That’s fantastic feedback, it seems I am on the right track. Many thanks! 😊

[@RichardHigham1]

Was lovely meeting you and glad you enjoyed the view Adrian

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, many thanks for the kind hospitality and for showing me the apartments.

[@cjenkins73]

Always enjoy your updates - thank you always Aiden ❤

[@AidanEyewitness]

Many thanks for your positive feedback!

[@JohnnyZenith]

Manchester is going to have to start thinking of going underground with transport at some point. Also I can't believe plans for Piccadilly Gardens haven't been released yet.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Well, the underground link thing came and went in the 1970s. We have Metrolink but for me the mark of a true big city is an underground railway.

[@leod-sigefast]

True. I am a Mancunian and spend many years living (and studying as a student) in Manchester but I also lived several years in Spain. It always frustrated me when living in Spain and comparing the cities across Spain to any non-London city in the UK. The UK is soooo London-centric and the 'provinces' are so underfunded. Many cities in Spain - even outside of Madrid and Barcelona - have an underground network. The tunnels and geology cannot keep being used as an excuse. Imagine China giving up on its 2nd and 3rd biggest cities having an underground network?! No chance. It can be done if the will and the funding is there - again, London-centric country is the big problem..we'll never get funding from the government. Being a former student, I think a preliminary line from Piccadilly south through Oxford Road as far as possible (to Fallowfield, Didsbury?) would be a fantastic start and clear up a lot of that heavy bus traffic and cater to the thousands of students that move up and down that road. We don't have to build all lines at once; just look at the historic development of the London underground.

[@paulwild3676]

@@leod-sigefast The North West was always neglected even when it was much richer than London. London took all our money in the 19th Century and spent it on itself. That was always a sore point with Tony Wilson. The billions spent on the totally unnecessary Crossrail, could have paid for an Underground for Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. There is a regional racism in this country, which is ingrained in Westminster politicians of both parties. Labour is no better. They have betrayed us over HS2 too. Regional government is an absolute must if we don’t want this prejudice to continue.

[@TalesOfWar]

We've needed a proper underground system here for decades and it's becoming more and more apparent as every year goes by. The population is set to double in the next decade in the centre alone. We really need a Crossrail of the North, from Liverpool to Leeds.

[@TalesOfWar]

@@paulwild3676 Crossrail was absolutely needed, and it needs Crossrail 2. The place is growing and it's already at capacity. That doesn't mean it should be or the other, we're a rich country and can afford both. These kind of infrastructure projects pay for themsevles by benefitting the wider community. Can you imagine how much richer we could be as a nation if we invested properly into our urban centres and not just London? We need to diversify too, because right now the British economy is quite literally concentrated in one square mile, and an old docklands. It's entirely dependant on the finance sector, if that goes belly up, so does the whole British economy. Nothing else comes close to matching it. We need more eggs and more baskets.

[@ohyeah2816]

I visited 30 years ago and it looks very different now. Thanks for the update.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes it’s very different to how it was and it will change again in the future

[@JuliusFawcett]

Hi Aidan. Thanks so much for the documentation of the ever growing and changing Manchester. I moved back to Manchester two years ago after 28 years away and love the new developments in the city centre. I have watched many of your videos and thoroughly enjoyed the education you are delivering on KZbin. Manchester's evolution did feel a little overwhelming to me at first, but with your help, I'm getting more of a grip on what has been going on and what is to come. I would love to see a video of which buildings are soon to be completed. Another cool video would be if you could interview Ian Simpson. Many thanks again.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Oh wow, this is a very nice comment. Sincerest apologies for the delay in replying. My background is in education, I have an educational intention with every video so thanks for acknowledging this. Buildings soon to be completed - yes, good idea. I would really like to visit the newly completed apartments. I will need to contact the developers / agents. As for an interview with Ian Simpson - that would be great, it's actually an ambition of mine, but he doesn't give many interviews. We'll see.

[@latchdoorlatch996]

I see the Manchester skyline from the hills in Bolton its crazy how fast its changed with all the tall buildings going up its looking more like a major city it looks really cool to be honest my favourite city in the UK

[@AidanEyewitness]

Nice to hear a positive message about the skyline. Some people are negative about tall buildings. I think they’re great.

[@Wowgals]

I live on great ancoats street and watching all these buildings going up over the past 10 years has been fascinating! Loved this video Aidan, subscribed! x

[@AidanEyewitness]

Fantastic. Many thanks for the positive feedback and for subscribing! 😊

[@AidanEyewitness]

As ever I am grateful for your comments, though I'm finding it increasingly difficult to reply to them promptly. This video took a long time to edit and I uploaded it from Kilkenny, Ireland on Thursday 25 July 2024 - made live at 4pm Irish time! If I've made any mistakes, please let me know in the comments.

[@JohnnyZenith]

You don't have to reply promptly or at all. We look forward to your videos!

[@deaglanmcaloran623]

No harm mate, take your time

[@lordgemini2376]

I would love to live there :)

[@AidanEyewitness]

You mean, to live in The Castings or just Manchester in general?

[@lordgemini2376]

@@AidanEyewitness Well both, but I was referring to The Castings specifically :)

[@nicolasnicolas3218]

Can’t wait for you to cover the new Old Trafford stadium construction ⚽️🏟️🔴💪

[@AidanEyewitness]

I’ll keep that in mind

[@rattylol]

Great views....of more tall flats

[@AidanEyewitness]

😊

[@thomHD]

One of the only UK cities where it's quite easy to find modern apartment buildings, with smart and reasonably priced flats, as you find in so many other cities around the world. Only wish there was more in the south! The £1000 flats in Manchester would be £1500 in Bristol and easily £2000 London.

[@lordgemini2376]

That's why we need to build more homes up and down the country to increase capacity, bring prices down, and make the renting market more stable and affordable. Preferably dense and centrally located or transit-oriented development. Build build build!

[@thomHD]

@@lordgemini2376 Yes, as long as that's modern apartments, preferably walking distance from train stations, not the sprawling housing estates that demand car ownership. It's another unfortunate aspect of British class relations how we associate apartment buildings with blocks of council flats.

[@AidanEyewitness]

I agree!

[@AidanEyewitness]

Thanks for the info.

[@TalesOfWar]

@@thomHD Think more Barbican and less Falinge Flats lol.

[@NEWCASTLE-UNITED-1892]

Wish other uk cities were doing this its amazing love it

[@TalesOfWar]

We seem to be the only place outside of London that gets any kind of outside investment, and we're still staved of it when it comes to larger infrastructure projects. I feel bad for the rest of the country, especially the south west who get sweet bugger all.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Good points

[@AidanEyewitness]

Well Birmingham has some tall buildings in planning, but Manchester is the busiest outside London

[@charbuka]

Excellent video, love the sped-up rotating drone shots. Also fascinated to hear how/why you got punched in the face 😅

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, the sped up drone shots are great! Great work by Mr @Cinemaker with a bit of speed adjustment by me in Final Cut Pro. In both cases - at the Ranch and Nicklebys, it was just completely random, they just lashed out at however was standing by. That sort of thing doesn't seem to happen to me nowadays!

[@davidowen2396]

Another great episode....I think high-rise living works well if there's plenty going on at street level and you're in the thick of things. I was offered a flat by Salford Council in the early 90s at Pendleton...it was in a tower block and was eerie..though looking at rents nowadays....I didn't realise how good I had it!

[@AidanEyewitness]

That was a similar experience to me - Thorn Court, where I was, is in Pendleton. It was good for a while but I moved into a house-share in Fallowfield and that was much better, much more sociable.

[@nicebeevor]

Can we not just declare that Manchester has reached maximum Simpson Haugh capacity, and the only architecture to be allowed from now on must show a greater level of talent, imagination and variety?

[@AidanEyewitness]

But who is to decide that? The Planning Committee? I think they should be more transparent about their decisions and invite feedback from the public more.

[@TalesOfWar]

Manchester has always been a place of mixed architecture with no one style really defining the place. I take your point of a lot of modern stuff being a bit lacking in imagination though. It's rather homogenised regardless of where you go because the same people are designing it and the same companies are proving the materials and building it. You tend to get more interesting designs when there are limits to overcome with planning permission, like all the funny shaped buildings in London because there are protected views of St Pauls from various points around the city, or the overhang on Beetham Tower on Deansgate because they couldn't build any wider lower down.

[@TheLifeOfDan1]

I can’t agree. I have been saying this for ages. These box skyscrapers need to be of higher quality, here here!

[@iamjoestafford]

I love your videos Aidan - you are creating a real treasure trove of images documenting the development of the city. You're a modern day Francis Frith!

[@AidanEyewitness]

Fantastic feedback, many thanks, 😊

[@frmcf]

I lived in Manchester from about 2006 to 2011, and worked all over the city, so got to know it reasonably well. I genuinely don't think I'd recognise large swaths of it now.

[@AidanEyewitness]

It’s changed, but I want to keep up to date with the changes, hence this channel.

[@TalesOfWar]

It changes from month to month. Any time I go into town there's some new skyscraper being built or just finished. And that one shop by Shudehill bus station just before it turns to Rochdale Road seems to either be empty or a new business at least every 2 years. Every single business I've seen in there for the last 20 years I've been taking notice has failed before their lease is up hence being empty. It must be cursed lol.

[@nigel8499]

New York city vibe

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, a little bit! 😊

[@English_Dawn]

Remember "Levelling Up"? Michael Gove wanted to push Civil Service jobs out of Whitehall. 🔵 The Soapworks. 🔵 5 First Street. 🔵 Central Retail Park, which I understand is to be a Data Centre.

[@AidanEyewitness]

I always thought levelling up was what you do to raise a road surface so it's smooth!

[@johnburns4017]

Lots of billities there.

[@AidanEyewitness]

I was just responding to the wording on the SimpsonHaugh site. I thought the word 'materiality' was something to do with philolophy and not the choice of building materials!

[@johnburns4017]

@@AidanEyewitness 😃

[@paulbraine674]

Hell of a improvement to Manchester since I started following united back in the 70 ‘s Paul cockney red

[@AidanEyewitness]

Well it's a complete transformation compared to the past when there was very little development and many derelict urban areas. The club and music scene was exciting though!

[@brianpoole4369]

hi...can you provide any update on the VIADUX 2 planning application...cheers!

[@AidanEyewitness]

I understand a planning application has been submitted to Manchester City Council, but we are waiting for a decision. To keep up with this and other projects, I recommend signing up fir the daily mailout from Place North West

[@ians3586]

It was interesting to get a peek inside one of the units. I'm with you, I think I could happily live there, especially if it were high enough up for a great view.

[@AidanEyewitness]

But you’d have to pay more money. My flat in Thorn Court Salford was on the 19th floor but the (low) rent was the same as on any floor. The views were impressive!

[@patrick_h_lauke]

randomly, you mention of the boddington brewery at the start of the video took me right back to the days when, depending on the wind, you couldn't move around salford for the sickly smell of fermentation...

[@polomadmo]

I remember it smelling like heated up Corn Flakes..

[@AidanEyewitness]

Ah yes, those days are long gone! But there are still breweries in Moss Side but there are no fermentaiton odours!

[@TalesOfWar]

I miss that smell. I miss the brewery pub too! It's not the same since they moved, the water from the underground well they drew it from is what made Boddies. It used to be a really nice pint. It's still OK, but not as good as it used to be.

[@CM-1723]

Hopefully even taller skyscrapers in the old toys r us site

[@AidanEyewitness]

Possibly. Manchester’s skyscrapers are still pocket-sized compared to certain other cities.

[@TalesOfWar]

A nice green space would be better use from a community perspective. Manchester really lacks public green spaces. The place expanded at a rate of knots during the Industrial Revolution so there was little regard to planning, it was just "empty land, build there" or "slums, get rid, build there". We didn't have the royal parks like they have in London where the Monarch said nah mate, that's my land, find somewhere else. A lot of the developments have green spaces but they're only for residents, more places for everyone would be nice.

[@sgl0d10n]

Interesting seeing new Islington green (not officially a park but marked as one by google due to public use). It’s a shame it’s being developed after public outcry to keep the space as a park. When I lived opposite it was nice having somewhere people would gather in the summer. Manchester should take a page from Londons book in my opinion and fit in a lot more mini parks in developments because there is a notable lack of green space.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, you are absolutely right. In the city centre there are some nice parks, the new Ardwick Park and others, but still, there could be more.

[@mazinnasralla2036]

Central Retail Park on Great Ancoats St to become a home for Civil Service with 7k new jobs with work starting in 2026 according to the MEN. On Deansgate there's a core going up next to a pub, possibly called the Deansgate. It doesn't seem to have developed much at all in months. I wondered what is happening to it

[@AidanEyewitness]

Ah yes, Central Retail Park, no work has started yet and as for Staycity Apartments - mentioned in my last two videos - it seems to have stalled. There may be problems with the construction, hopefully we will get some information about it.

[@mazinnasralla2036]

@@AidanEyewitness They are working on Staycity Apartments now providing I am not confused with the name of the development. The flats above the Deansgate are going up quite quickly now. Not the core, but the floors surrounding it.

[@lostgleammedia]

Yes, keep building for the future, modernise the UK while the money is cheap

[@AidanEyewitness]

Thanks for your comment.

[@BsktImp]

08:31 Knightbridge, London 🤣🤣. 09:10 Not heard of 'buy to rent' before. How does it differ from buy to let? I've come across BTR as in build to rent, which a lot of institutional investors (Lloyds, John Lewis, BlackRock et al) are ramping up. Keep up the good work. Dunno why really, but I instinctively feel documenting change in the built environment is important.

[@AidanEyewitness]

I made a mistake, it’s Build to Rent. The developers build in order to rent out the apartments. I’ll put the error in my pinned comment.

[@clemfandango619]

Punched in the face at the ranch club? Did you request 'stairway to heaven'?

[@AidanEyewitness]

No, I was just walking up the stairs on the way out, in the dark, and I felt a blow to my face, someone was just lashing out at random strangers - as one does, or some people do. As for the incident in Nickelbys, there were two thuggish looking blokes and one was being sick on the carpet right in front of us. I was pretty disgusted but I think the other one didn't like that and just gave me a punch in the face. I stood up and went to the bar, thinking I'd be safe and he came back and gave me an even harder punch in the forehead. I complained to the landlady but she said 'Nothing that a good kiss wouldn't sort out'. When I went to the police the next night to report it, they said there was no point, there were thousands of incidents like that every weekend. Luckily I have avoided any fisticuffs since then!

[@clemfandango619]

​@AidanEyewitness That's sickening to read. I assumed It was some teenage punk rock hijinks. Thanks for the reply.

[@gsmp3744]

Strangeway area soon going to be full of tall buildings.

[@The_Original_KL]

Strangeways needs to be shut down and a new purpose built prison built. Imagine if they converted the old building into flats they would be very cool.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes but an interesting but one question: how tall and how near are buildings allowed to be near a prison?

[@aorlanguages]

@@The_Original_KL I would not like to live in a former prison! I once went to visit Eastern State Penitentiary, now a museum and education centre in Philadelphia. Very interesting!

[@gsmp3744]

@AidanEyewitness I hear the prison will be sold, and prisoners moved somewhere else.

[@The_Original_KL]

@@aorlanguages Is the prison not a listed building? Maybe they would have to keep the tower and facade and build a tower inside or something.

[@anguscunningham1296]

I did a viewing a couple months ago at the express building 4:46 and it was awful! i was taller than the ceiling and the kitchen and bedroom “windows” looked out onto the corridor. The nerve to ask for £1400 a month

[@AidanEyewitness]

That’s very useful to know, thanks for the info.

[@michaeldunne3379]

Breathless style of voiceover but I suppose that’s in keeping with the pace of development in Manchester which is staggeringly rapid. Not sure I like either.

[@AidanEyewitness]

@@michaeldunne3379 That’s the first time it’s ever been mentioned. There’s evidence to suggest a faster pace is better for KZbin. I value all feedback and will keep it in mind

[@TheLifeOfDan1]

I think Manchester needs more iconic skyscrapers, if they’re to build them. Nearly all the new ones are ill inspired for goodness sake.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, this is a problem I’ve mentioned. Iconic costs money! And it’s higher risk for investors. Hopefully if prosperity rides, designs will get more interesting.

[@TheLifeOfDan1]

@@AidanEyewitness Fingers crossed for Manchester! Still lightyears ahead of Birmingham with its skyline!

[@AidanEyewitness]

@@TheLifeOfDan1Visit to Birmingham in planning

[@flyingfeline7110]

I love apartment living but wonder how any apartment or flat could be pet-friendly without any outside space - a balcony or small private terrace at least. I think for the good of my own mental health I would need a little outside space to call my own - even if it was a only a few sq ft.

[@AidanEyewitness]

It’s a good point but some projects are keen to allow pets. Personally I love apartment living and don’t need any outdoor space. 😊

[@johnburns4017]

What grabs me is what is at street level, not up there.

[@AidanEyewitness]

I like both street level and high level!

[@davidsmith7215]

I really love your stuff and the work involved must be immense, but the music is way overpowering and distracts so much from the top work you do.

[@AidanEyewitness]

In the three years I've been doing the channel, I've received one other comment on this note. In this video I made a special effort to keep the music levels low. I love music in documentaries, it adds pace and atmosphere. It's been used in film since the earliest days. I've experimented with leaving gaps between music, that can work as a counterpoint. Anyway, you feedback is useful, many thanks for the positive words.

[@paulwild3676]

One Port Street is a beast.

[@AidanEyewitness]

It’s big, very big!

[@MMM-qx7wb]

Can the fire brigade reach these tower blocks?

[@AidanEyewitness]

There are special procedures for dealing with fires in tall buildings for example in New York

[@stephenoster7876]

As a developer in Manchester I enjoyed this, and I will be subscribing! Next time perhaps it’s worth a detour into New Cross, where we are delivering Peelers Yard, a new build BTR project of 81 properties. We are retaining the chimney and boundary walls of a former police and fire station that (ironically) burnt down around 30 years ago. Just a quick tip, BTR is Build to Rent, not buy to rent :)

[@AidanEyewitness]

@@stephenoster7876 Very interesting! Nice to hear from someone involved in developing / constructing. Yes I said BTR wrong and didn’t notice my mistake. I posted a correction in my pinned comment. I remember when the old police station burnt down. I took photos of the fire and the army appliances they sent in. I think there was a strike of the fire service at the time. Where can I find information on the project? Many thanks for commenting! 😊

[@EightyFour-s3z]

Boxes and Squares. Fast forward 40yrs…..imagine how awful it will be.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Can we really say that?

[@EightyFour-s3z]

@@AidanEyewitness - If we retain some humanity and have, even a cursory, understanding of nature…….. I think we can.

[@AidanEyewitness]

@@EightyFour-s3z Thanks for your reply! 😊

[@EightyFour-s3z]

@@AidanEyewitness - Maximum❤️and🤜✨🤛

[@saif68uddin]

BTR = Built to Rent. Designed specifically for renters.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, designed to tap into the large amount of people who don't want to or can't buy their own property.

[@gazb6176]

no gardens, come on!!. Maisonette allover again. all the Ancoats old residents like me have gone. I hate it.

[@Jomo-x6n]

Have you not been to Mayfield Park? BTW There's a 100 acre parkland in the £4b Victoria North regeneration project. Also there is Alexandra Park which is less than 2 miles south of the city center.

[@AidanEyewitness]

I've been to Mayfield Park, it's great and there will be huge green areas in the Victoria North district.

[@paulwild3676]

Why don’t they do something with those grotty shops in Swan Street?

[@AidanEyewitness]

Renewal of neighbouring streets tends to lag behind new construction. It will happen.

[@dougalmcguire7202]

Do you use AI for the voice over? I preferred your own voice.

[@AidanEyewitness]

@@dougalmcguire7202 I use my own voice, of course.

[@dougalmcguire7202]

@@AidanEyewitness it sounded different than when you appeared in the video. Are you classically trained?

[@AidanEyewitness]

@@dougalmcguire7202 No I’m not. On camera with the iPhone microphone, it sounds more natural. The recording is read from my script using a high quality microphone and I edit it quite a lot. I’ll keep your feedback in mind, many thanks.