OUR COMMUNITY VENUE IS UNDER THREAT FROM 126
NEW FLATS PROPOSED JUST 5 METERS AWAY.
THE DEVELOPMENT RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS AROUND RESIDENTIAL AMENITY, LONG-TERM HABITABILITY, NOISE CONFLICT AND THE PROTECTION OF EXISTING CULTURAL SPACES UNDER THE AGENT OF CHANGE PLANNING PRINCIPLE.
ASSIST US BY SUBMITTING YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE FLATS TO MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL
Manchester City Council is considering building 126 flats next to Stage & Radio and the public has an urgent chance to make their comments and send letters of representation to the Manchester City Council Planning Department.
NOTE: This one is the best way to make sure Manchester City Council see and listen to your concerns
Please keep all comments and representations calm, respectful and constructive so we are more likely to be taken seriously by the Council
Step 2 - *EASY TO DO*:
Joint Petition
Add Your Name To Our Community Developement Objection Petition
NOTE: We have made this petition so you can quickly add your name. We will be submitting the data from this in our representation but your comments might not be seen.
CULTURE NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED.
THIS IS BIGGER THAN JUST OUR VENUE.
The proposed development beside Stage & Radio has been promoted as the regeneration of a “derelict” part of the Northern Quarter.
However, from our perspective as an existing independent venue operating directly beside the site, this description fails to reflect the reality of the area and the long-standing cultural activity already taking place here.
This part of the city is not an abandoned corner of Manchester waiting to be discovered. In our corner of Northern Quarter we host grassroots culture and are a platform for new artists, promoters, DJs, musicians, hospitality workers and community-led creative projects. Stage & Radio has operated in this location for years as part of Manchester’s grassroots music ecosystem, hosting live music, club culture, community events and Crop Radio a community-led broadcasting platform supporting emerging artists and local creatives.
The application itself references openable windows within the proposed apartments. We have serious concerns that introducing new residents immediately beside an existing venue operating late into the night will inevitably result in complaints regarding sound, crowds and general nightlife activity.
Once residents move in, these pressures often do not remain theoretical. They will most likely lead to licensing restrictions, operational limitations and long-term threats to independent cultural spaces.
Manchester’s cultural identity was not created by new apartment blocks. It was built over decades by grassroots venues, artists, promoters, hospitality workers and creative communities who helped shape the Northern Quarter into what it is today.
We believe existing cultural infrastructure deserves meaningful protection as the city continues to grow.
We’re asking for community support because we’ve seen what happens to grassroots venues across the country when developments like this are pushed through without properly protecting existing cultural spaces. Venues end up dealing with complaints, pressure, restrictions and uncertainty simply for continuing to operate in the way they always have. Spaces like Night & Day Cafe, Rebellion, Meraki, Ministry of Sound and many more have all faced these kinds of battles.
Stage & Radio has spent years building a platform for artists, promoters, DJs, bands, technicians, radio hosts and creative communities in Manchester. We host live music, club culture, community projects and Crop Radio. All in a city that constantly talks about the importance of music and nightlife culture. Once independent venues disappear, they rarely come back.
Public comments, representations and support genuinely matter here. The more people who speak up, the harder it becomes for grassroots culture to be overlooked or treated as disposable.
