Manchester’s Factory International granted 24-hour licence

Manchester's new flagship arts venue Factory International has been granted a 24-hour licence for when it opens later this year.

The £211m venue, which will be operated by Manchester International Festival, has been built on the former site of Granada TV Studios in the city centre.

Its licence will allow alcohol to be sold until 4am every night.

Neighbours of the venue have described the opening hours as "excessive" and expressed concerns about noise disturbances.

Rebecca Lowe, who represented Factory International at the licensing hearing, said the project's funding deal meant it required a "rich diversity" of events at the venue, including late night music. 

However, she assured councillors that the venue would not become a nightclub.

She said: "We can't give detail of all the sorts of events that might take place at this venue over its lifetime because its very reason for being is to be a groundbreaking, cutting edge venue".

The conditions of the licence include a capacity of 2000 people for the venue's outdoor area. A regular residents' forum to discuss any issues arising from the licence will also be required.

The cost of building Factory International has far exceeded original budgets. Funding has mostly been met by the government, Arts Council England and Manchester City Council.