STAYING ALIVE!
THE building which played a key role in the start of the Bee Gees’ musical career is facing the bulldozers after a community group said their bid to save it had been rejected.
The Chorlton Community Land Trust launched a bid in November to save the former Gaumont building on Manchester Road in Chorlton, which is currently owned by Co-operative Funeralcare.
The campaign outlined plans to convert the building into a marketstyle food hall that would have performance space for live music and cinema screenings.
The trust now says that their bid has been rejected by the Co-operative Group.
At the time of the bid, the trust’s Chris Peacock said fans would come from all over the world to get their pictures taken outside the building. The building, which was built 100 years ago, was where the Gibb brothers’ first band The Rattlesnakes made their live debut in 1957. The Bee Gees were formed a year later and would go on to sell more than 120 million records.
The trust had managed to raise more than £370,000 in pledges in ten days.
The total offer was raised to £2.2m thanks to interest from development partners. The trust says the Co-operative Group told them the reasoning behind the unsuccessful bid was ‘principally due to price.’
The trust believe their bid was only £400,000 less than what retirement home developer Churchill offered for the site. The plan to turn the site into 40 private retirement flats now looks likely to go ahead. The trust told the M.E.N. that another reason their bid was rejected was concerns over its ability to deliver in the time available.
Trust member Simon Hooton said: “This is hardly surprising as we were rushed into an arrangement to match their pre-set timetable.
“Nevertheless, we worked hard to establish a commercial proposition that our developer-partner was prepared to back with their own substantial investment.”
The trust says it will continue its battle for the site and will ‘lodge every possible objection.’
“We know there is a commitment to make Chorlton a better place and we are determined to keep agitating for change,” said Simon.
“We want to work with other landowners and developers to help secure balanced growth and a vibrant heart for the place we live.”
A spokesperson for The Co-op said that no contract had yet been signed for the site.
They added: “At our last meeting with The Chorlton Land Trust we expressed a number of concerns in relation to their overall proposal which were not around the value of their bid.
“Contrary to their comments, however, we have not yet reached a final decision in relation to the site and we are continuing to look at options.”
Chorlton Community Land Trust member Simon Hooton