The devastating fire at Manchester's iconic Medlock Mill, also known as the 'Hotspur Press building', has moved thousands of residents of the city.

The building, beside the River Medlock on the corner of Cambridge St and Whitworth St, is Manchester's oldest surviving cotton mill with parts of its structure dating from 1794. Surveys have affirmed its very special historic and architectural importance.   

Its disappearance would be a tragic loss to all who care about our local and national heritage.

Preserving what remains of this structure, after the tragic fire, is a most urgent task. But beyond that the future of the site remains contested.

Many Mancunians with deep affection for the building have simply taken its quiet, benevolent presence for granted, unaware of the peril the building was ALREADY in. 

Before the fire, planning permission was granted to property developer Manner, to convert the site into a monstrous 37-storey student accommodation tower. This approved plan would have been almost as destructive as the recent fire - leaving little of the mill's original structure intact. 

This plan was being fought by heritage campaign groups who appealed the decision of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in January 2025, to refuse the building Grade II listed status. 

It is perhaps only now - with the city waking up to the very real possibility of the mill's permanent erasure - that the building's true civic value has been revealed.  

So, we call upon Andy Burnham, Mayor of Manchester, and Manchester City Council, to preserve the site and call an immediate halt to Manner's development plans.

The fire has rendered their obscene plans obsolete - and so the people of the city MUST be involved in a NEW public consultation on the future of Medlock Mill.

There is a very real danger the developers will exploit the fire and push for a quick, complete demolition. We cannot let such an act of cultural vandalism happen.

Don't let profiteering developers destroy the fabric and heritage of our proud city. There's still time to Save Medlock Mill!*     

*Sign up to a new campaign group, Friends of Medlock Mill by sending your contact details to: friendsofmedlockmill@yahoo.com