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 THE CAMPAIGN 

THE CAMPAIGN

The Picture House is a beautiful slice of history right in the heart of Manchester

The Co-operative Group is planning to sell the funeralcare site on Manchester Road but has given us a chance to save the building from demolition.  

Our vision for The Picture House is to create a new landmark attraction to help revitalise the heart of Chorlton and boost local community well-being. Through extensive engagement and consultation with the community, we seek to deliver this vision in practice by:

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  1. Securing the building as a multi-purpose, accessible meeting place for our community by blending commercial principles with community values, based around:
     

    • Food Market Hall – showcasing food & drink from Chorlton’s diverse and distinctive traders

    • Art, music and performance offering – celebrating the local cultural scene and Bee Gees legacy

    • Community space – providing meeting and co-working space for the local community
       

  2. The rear part of the site will provide new, high quality homes in order to secure the commercial viability of the Picture House. Alongside providing a number of affordable units.
     

  3. A new public square for markets, gatherings and civic event

 

The unique structure of Chorlton CLT as a community-led organisation will ensure we take a values-based approach to the development whereby:

 

  1. The CLT will work with other local groups to ensure the Picture House contributes to the vibrant growth of our community and provides opportunities to support healthy, active living, promotes local art and recognises the historic connection to the Bee Gees.
     

  2. Chorlton CLT have developed a strong relationship with an aligned developer and will have a say in agreeing the operators of the Picture House building.
     

  3. The Board of the CLT will be accountable to its member shareholders through annual elections and regular open meetings.
     

  4. The CLT will issue shares in return for investments made by individuals who will also become members of the CLT.
     

  5. The CLT will work with other local groups to ensure the Picture House contributes to the vibrant growth of our community and provides opportunities to support healthy, active living, promotes local art and recognises the historic connection to the Bee Gees.

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More detail about our proposal can be found here. We have been in lengthy discussions with the Co-operative Group to purchase the site - but a key part of proposal is to raise £500,000 towards the sale price, to make our plans a reality. ​​

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