I recently heard a rumour, via Pubs of Manchester, that the Co-Operative Group’s new Headquarters development in the Angel Meadow / Ancoats / Victoria Station area of Manchester city centre could result in the closure of one or more local pubs.

The first likely victim to be named was the Crown and Cushion. I have to admit that when I heard about this I was annoyed – in a general purpose, anti-pub-closure kinda way – but as I’ve never been in the place (purely because it’s a Holt’s pub and Holt’s pubs almost never have guest beers on alongside their own, and I’ve got three or four Holt’s pubs within walking distance of my house if I actually fancy a pint of something by Holt’s) I wasn’t actually upset, per se.

Then I read PoM’s follow-up post: two more pubs possibly under threat? One being the Ducie Bridge (and I have to admit, this didn’t worry me much as again I’ve never been in there and don’t have any plans to – fronting a hugely busy road junction and largely off the beaten track, it’s got to be one of the most uninviting pub locations in the city centre) but when I spotted that The Angel might also be at risk, I started taking a lot more notice. I’ve had a couple of good meals and some very good pints indeed in that establishment since the new owners took over a year or so back and they’re making a real effort to raise their game across the board, so if The Angel was to close, that really would be a shame.

Time for a spot of investigative blogging…

First port of call, the Co-Operative’s own micro-site about the development at http://www.co-operative.coop. Here we find a map of the planned development:

I’ve marked the location of the three pubs in question:

1. The Crown & Cushion
2. The Ducie Bridge
3. The Angel

Judging by the plan, I’d say that the Ducie Bridge and The Angel should both be safe, as only the Crown & Cushion is contained within the yellow-shaded area that presumably represents the development’s immediate footprint.

But PoM also mentioned a promo video / walk-through of the development, which PoM thinks “renders the redeveloped area without a Crown & Cushion, and presumably the Ducie Bridge and New Century Hall is also marked for demolition?”

It’s difficult to tell. Here’s a still from the crucial section of the video:

Again, I’ve marked the location of the three pubs, in the same order. There still seems to be a building shown at the location of the Crown & Cushion, although the surrounding buildings seem to have been altered, so maybe that area is due to be redeveloped, in which case that C&C could still be at risk (and indeed, judging by the comments on PoM‘s campaign post, closure has been confirmed). And there’s an ominous gap where the Ducie Bridge should be, although that all depends on whether those darker-shaded grey areas represent open space of some sort (in which case the pub will have been demolished, clearly) or simply the footfall of buildings that will still be standing, but have been omitted form the video to allow for a clearer view of the new building. In which case it might not be a problem.

The good news is that, again, The Angel appears to be untouched. And of course, given their recent move in the direction of fine dining and great ales, then the presence of a brand new corporate HQ right over the road might actually give them a major boost, especially if the current renovations continue apace, or they stick an extension on the side, where there’s been an empty plot for as long as most folks can probably remember. Not to mention the potential surge in lunchtime trade from thousands of construction workers in the interim… could be a real opportunity for them, and other pubs in the area (The Marble Arch, the Crown & Kettle, the Smithfield Hotel to name but a few more).

But anyway, all of the above is pure speculation, of course. Only one way to clear this up: according to the latest Co-Op press release on the subject, the project’s lead developers are BAM construct UK. According to the release: “Director of BAM in the North West, Steve Byrne said :’The Co-operative Group’s new home and the ambitious programme to deliver it is a great showcase for how BAM builds. The project will bring long term economic, social and environmental benefits to the community around it.’”

I’ve dropped them a line to ask whether any of the three pubs mentioned are due to be demolished or whether they’re actually in line to reap some of those economic benefits. We’ll see what they have to say on the subject if and when they get back to me.