The food hall element of the leisure destination in Manchester’s NOMA district has not proven commercially viable, paving the way for it to be replaced by a second space for live music events.
Branded Locker, the ground floor music hall would complement the larger New Century Hall space upstairs and act as a venue for “new and up and coming talent” as well as providing space for college students at the DBS Institute – located within the building’s basement – to perform, according to the asset’s owner One Plus Four.
The 16,000 sq ft food hall would be subdivided into two distinct areas under the plans; the new live music venue with associated ancillary accommodation and a bar serving pizza. The plan is for the two spaces to operate separately or in tandem.
The scheme brings an end to the operation of the open-plan food hall, which has “struggled due to the scale and character of the space and the building’s location being slightly removed from the primary retail and leisure core of the city centre”, according to a planning statement prepared by Euan Kellie Property Solutions.
Abby Mudge, managing director at New Century, said: “We’re delighted that our application has been validated by the planning team as this marks the next step complete in New Century’s ground floor changes. As an independent and family-owned business with roots in music and education, our vision for the next part of New Century’s life is beyond exciting.
“Our aim to bridge the gap for grassroots artists, promoters and students to help them build their careers in a beautiful space with first class kit will reach a new level when Locker opens later this year. We’ve been incredibly lucky to work with such passionate food traders over the last few years, and we’re excited to continue supporting them in their next steps as we shift New Century’s food concept. We look forward to sharing more news with you about the project when works get underway.”
To learn more about the plans, search for reference number PLA-2026-000952 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.
As well as EKPS, Project 3 Architects, Edwards Property Consultants, Levrant, and Sheila Bird Studio are advising on the plans.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.placenorthwest.co.uk ’
