Gary Neville to restore pub he was set to demolish

Gary Neville has committed to restoring Manchester's only pub which witnessed the Peterloo massacre a decade after proposing its demolition.

The Sir Ralph Abercromby is still in the same spot as the day of the 1819 disaster, when a cavalry charge killed 18 protesters and injured hundreds. with some of the wounded treated in the pub, commemorated by a mural.

In 2014, the ex-Man Utd star announced a £400m plan to redevelop the site, the land next door, and former Bootle Street police station with towers and a public plaza.

Twelve years on, he said: "The Sir Ralph Abercromby is one of Manchester's most treasured pubs and an important part of the city's social fabric."

The original plan, under Neville's St Michael's project, was met with uproar by regulars, heritage groups, and CAMRA which organised a 3,500-signature petition.

Campaigners even tried to move it brick-by-brick in 2016 but the move never came to fruition because Neville abandoned his original "flawed" proposals in 2017.

The redesign kept the pub and created a public square sandwiched between two skyscrapers.

The first, No. 1 St Michael's, opened last summer as a 41-storey office block with restaurants and coffee shops.

Taller No. 2 St Michael's is currently under construction, with the 43-storey tower set to be home for an ultra-luxury W Hotel and W Residences apartments.

Now, Neville's Relentless Developments has unveiled its plans for the pub.

"A substantial refurbishment" is promised to "retain and purpose" its "strategic features" including retaining and refurbishing window frames, brickwork and external doors "where feasible, or replacements in keeping with the original elements".

A glass walkway will connect the 19th Century pub to the 21st Century hotel skyscraper, in a move Neville said would "enhance... one of Manchester's most treasured pubs".

"A big part of our ambition for St Michael's has been to celebrate Manchester's heritage and restoring this iconic building is central to that vision," he said.

Neville added: "Our proposals carefully retain and enhance the features that give the pub its character while sensitively integrating it into the wider St Michael's scheme.

"We're proud the pub has been able to remain open throughout construction and this next phase will secure its future for generations to come."

Relentless submitted a planning application to Manchester City Council last week which is still yet to be processed, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands.

If approved construction should be completed in summer 2027.

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