ITV steps up Manchester move plans

From MediaGuardian...

ITV steps up relocation plans
ITV has submitted a planning application for the delayed £18m redevelopment of Granada's historic Manchester production centre.
The broadcaster is proposing to move from ITV Granada's Quay Street HQ in the city, which has been an ITV production centre for more than 40 years, to a nearby location, known as the Bonded Warehouse.

This site is also one of four shortlisted in the Manchester area by the BBC as possible locations for its proposed major new production and broadcasting centre in the city. However, the corporation's move has yet to get the final go-ahead from the board of governors and is dependent on a generous licence fee settlement from the government.

ITV is planning to move more than 800 of around 1,200 staff currently working in Quay Street to the Bonded Warehouse development.

The broadcaster's Manchester operation makes network drama - including Coronation Street - children's, entertainment, factual and lifestyle programming, as well as regional news and non-news shows. Coronation Street will remain at its current site. ITV also has post-production and studio facilities in Manchester, as well as finance and administration staff.

The £18m, 12-month redevelopment will involve creating more than 330,000 sq ft of new offices, studios and other facilities in the Bonded Warehouse, which will become ITV Granada's new HQ.

"Relocation into the Bonded Warehouse creates land for new development at the prominent Quay Street end of the site," said Mark Stretton, the ITV property director. "This land could either become a possible location for the BBC northern relocation, enabling the creation of a potential world renowned media zone ... or alternatively be a logical extension to the extensive developments under way in the Quay Street area."

The redevelopment application was submitted to Manchester council by HOW Planning. Project management is by AYH.

Granada's plans to move from Quay Street to the Bonded Warehouse first emerged in late 2003, just before the company merged with Carlton to create ITV plc.

At the time Granada was talking to the BBC director general, Greg Dyke, about the two broadcasters sharing the same Manchester site following the Bonded Warehouse redevelopment.

However, ITV's Manchester move was put on hold after the BBC's plans were thrown into confusion by Mr Dyke's sudden departure following publication of the Hutton report in January 2004. It was not until December of that year that Mr Dyke's successor, Mr Thompson, came out firmly in favour of moving a substantial part of the BBC's London production and broadcasting operation to Manchester.

Well it's good to see that they still want to join up with the BBC to create a new media hub, plus another positive is that at least they want to stay close to Quay Street by being in the Warehouse.

But what I want to know is how much room is there for Studio's within the proposed building, obviously there must be some as they intend to share or at least propose something with the BBC. I'm just hoping Granada isn't going to go down the road with Meridian, Central and Tyne Tees by moving into offices and only having one Studio. But at least the article has made it clear that Manchester controls some ITV output other than that of Granada (NW).

It's a shame they want to move out of Quay Street, even though it's 50 years old this year, it isn't too bad, it's quite up to date AIUI and isn't really an eyesore either, but it is being under-used, even with the 3SixtyMedia agreement with the BBC, it isn't being used as much as it should.

Plus anyone who has been around the Quay Street area in the past couple of years will know it's prime land, it's valuable, you should see the amount of new office blocks that have popped up in the area that block Granada, it wouldn't surprise me if the current Studios get demolished and have offices replacing them.

But I'd rather see a confirmed decision from the BBC before ITV decide what to do, if the BBC do decide to make the move to Manchester (so far they've only said they're interested and looking at potenial sites) then that would be a good time for ITV to relocate, but both Broadcasters would need alot of space, if the BBC does move up North, then they would have to allocate Sport, Five Live, Childrens, North West, whilst ITV has to allocate some Drama, Entertainment and Granada TV.

Just a small point of order first: Meridian actually has three studios at their new HQ at Whiteley: one for each sub-regional news programme, but I agree with the sentiment expressed nonetheless.

I also agree that although Granada's current site is a decent production facility with (in the main) modern equipment and production areas, it is getting rather long in the tooth. It's actually not the prettiest of buildings IMO: much like Pebble Mill, the studios are accompanied by a largely graceless tower block of offices.

http://www2.umist.ac.uk/material/pkpriv/ugrad_pros1k/imags/a_granada_sp9f.jpg

But it is in a prime area of Manchester, so the land must be valuable. The BBC did recently confirm that studio and post-production facilites would be provided by external companies in Manchester following the move up North of 5 Live, Childrens and Sport - so I too would be surprised if the new development didn't include a few decent sized television studios.

I have seen far worse and there is worse on the Manchester skyline, the Arndale Yellow tiled 'Men's Toilet' tower seems to come to mind, even though they've rebuilt the rest of the centre. Come to think of it anywhere looks better than the BBC on Oxford Road.

I just think it would be a shame to see it go, probably one of only few buildings of that type that's still left in Manchester, plus the view looks good at night on Granada Reports, when you can see GRANADA TV in neon red.

I only mention this because Granada is still a Network Production base, unlike other ITV companies that have moved to offices, so space is going to be needed for programme, plus Independents still use Granada's facilities, best example being all interior shots of Phoenix Nights were filmed at Quay Street.

But I guess we must understand the need for a new centre to meed the demands of ITV in the 21st Century, and quite possibly the BBC aswell.

What would happen to "The Street" would they have to rebuild elsewhere.

Nothing, the actual Street and the Studio allocated to Coronation Street would remain safe for as long as the show is on air. I'm not 100% sure but Coronation Street's studio at Quay Street isn't in the main building, it is seperate.

Where will the Bonded Warehouses be located?

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/bc/43077b8e_56da/bc/My+Documents/vote_2005_scotland.jpg?BC_drwDBZOy7tq6O

Well if I'm thinking correctly, it's an empty building located at the back of the Quay Street studios, it used to be part of the now defunct Granada Studios Tour, but has remained derrilict since it's closure about 6 years ago, that was the building that was earmarked to be used before the plans were put on hold sometime ago.

Never knew that, ture what they say "you learn something new everday"

Anyway I know what you mean about the shot on Granada Reports it does look good and I think at one time (on TV Ark) they have titles with a Granada Reports car pulling out next to the red sign.

Is that shot on the show live? as you see the train go past just after 6pm plus when they hung stuff out the granada window you could see it.

I'm pretty certain the view is Live, you can tell when either watching a GMTV bulletin, prefrably when the Sun is rising, another clue is when the Weather conditions are absurd, especially one morning in December you could see the Ice and Fog.

Here's an aerial map of the Granada Studios complex

I've labled it up to the best of my knowledge
http://www.hillyard22.freeserve.co.uk/granadastudios.jpg
As you can see its all on the same site, so at least they will stay on the historic site

Right lets put this into perpective. The studios are styaing wher they are. Coronation Street set is taying where it is. ASll that is moving are the offices from the 1960's style building which everyone knows as Granada TV to the warehouse connected to The Coronation Street set (just along the so-called road after Roys Rolls)

The warehouse is actually part of the Quat Street site. It used to be part of the Granada Studios Tour until it closed. Since then they have opened up at least 2 new studios which are actually in constant use by either ITV Productions, Granada Productions, BBC Television (A Question Of Sport and Question Time , when it comes to Manchester, at least). Apart from that the warehouse is currently empty.

Since the amalgamtion of most of the ITV licences to create ITVplc, alot of office space in the 1960's building (originally opened in 1962 - according to Manchester Evening News tonight) is actually empty space, since many of the managerial posts moved south to London. Therefore, all that ITV is doing is logically using the empty space (which is plentiful) in the warehouse for the offices, and then redevelop the old office towerblock into part of the planned media centre.

Hopefully ITV's gamble pays off and BBC decide to move to Quay Street. On the grapevine, though, BBC's preferred location, at the moment, is Salford Quays (about 3 miles away!!!)

I am in a very fortunate position, at the moment, as through my office window I can see Granada TV building (you can actually see my office of the skydrop of Granada Reports/Tonight (the Royal Bank of Scotland building)). My seat in next to the top floor so I can see directly on to Granada, see Dev's shop on Coronation Street, the proposed new office block (Bonded Warehouse - which is directly behind Museum of Science and Industry - which includes a part of the very first passenger railway in the country!!!) and the car-park where the camera/etc vehicles are normally held (except for past couple of weeks as the carpark is holding trailers and portakabins for Soapstar Superstar!).