Gary Neville admits error in £400m Manchester development

Former footballer Gary Neville has talked about lessons he learned as he unveiled more details of his £400m development in Manchester city centre.

The St Michael's scheme includes a five-star hotel and luxury flats.

The ex-Manchester United star revised the original plans for the scheme after a backlash from conservationists.

He admitted the idea to knock down a pub and the front of the Bootle Street police station was a "huge mistake" but said the project was now back on track.

Work on the first phase of the project began last year.

Neville, who is to join BBC One's Dragons' Den as a guest Dragon for the 2024 series, said the 15-year journey to regenerate the site had been a "bumpy ride".

Plans for the scheme were approved in 2018 after the original proposals were revised following criticism from conservation groups, including Historic England (HE).

Neville told BBC Radio 5 Live's Wake Up To Money: "It's been challenging all the way through for different reasons."

He cited the global Covid-19 pandemic, worldwide recession in 2007 and planning issues "which I take personal responsibility for".

"I recognise the mistake that I made," the football pundit said.

He also said rising interest rates had caused "issues in the market".

"What will ultimately happen, is that development will stop for a period because people won't want to borrow money at the interest rates that are available, which is really, really bad," he said.

"We have to make sure that development continues because the construction sector is one of the biggest employers in this country."

Of his plans for the front of the Bootle Street police station and the Sir Ralph Abercromby pub he said: "I don't know why or how I was thinking that at the time.

"I love old buildings, I have always renovated old buildings, the idea that we looked at that pub and the front of Bootle Street police station and thought we should knock it down, that was a huge mistake."

He added: "I have openly admitted that we got it wrong but we have been corrected and we have owned up to our mistakes and we are now on site."

He said the redevelopment would eventually become a global landmark and it would be of massive benefit to Manchester.

He said it would create 2,200 jobs, and 700 extra jobs during construction, result in a significant affordable housing contribution "into the millions" and bring "huge economic prosperity" to the area.

"We are proud of this project," he said, adding it would raise standards in hospitality, residential living and commercial buildings in the city.

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