Irish World Heritage Centre hotel gets under way

Truman Design & Build has started work on the £6.5m, 135-bed hotel in Cheetham Hill, stepping in to replace fellow contractor Graham, which was formerly lined up to build the scheme.

Plans for the hotel have been in the pipeline since 2013, with developer Eagle Rock Investments looking to provide accommodation for visitors to the centre at peak times, including during weddings and festivals.

A planning application was submitted in February 2017 and approved in May the same year.

The 40,000 sq ft, four-storey hotel covers a 1.8 acre plot next to the heritage centre on Irish Town Way, which hosts music, dance, education, weddings and business events. GVA acted as planner on the scheme, with SK Transport as transport consultant.

Bolton-based Truman is set to complete the scheme later this year, having taken over the project from Graham, which was originally in line to deliver the hotel.

As well as the exterior works, Truman will also carry out the fit-out, while the operator for the hotel is expected to be named in the coming months. Other hotel projects Truman is delivering include a £12m scheme at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Truman project director Dan Lewis said: “We are excited to be on site for the construction and fit-out of the new hotel next to the Irish World Heritage Centre.

“It is a prestigious scheme which will provide much-needed hotel accommodation for visitors to the complex and to the surrounding area, including Manchester Arena and the city centre.

“We have a team of highly-experienced professionals who are committed to delivering projects safely, on time and on budget. This project further underlines Truman’s credibility in the design, construction and fit-out of prominent developments across the region.”