In November of 2015, when I took the images below, the old Stock Exchange building was in the news in Manchester. 



The building was unoccupied but was scheduled to be refurbished and converted into a boutique hotel by a group headed by Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs of Manchester United fame.  However, the reason it was in the news was that a group of homeless squatters had entered the building with a view to using it as a homeless shelter.  Gary Neville agreed to the building being used in that way over the winter until work was scheduled to begin.  He even made arrangement for toilet and shower facilities to be arranged for the "residents".


The planning permission application sought to, "... redevelop the site through conversion, refurbishment and the extension (modest additional accommodation at roof level) of the existing listed building into a boutique hotel of 35 bedrooms with associated uses/activities being typical of a use of that kind. The Hotel would operate on a 24 hr basis with the majority of activities being open to members of the public, as well as guests of the hotel or those attending a specific event, whether it be a wedding party, conference or business event.   In summary, they include a restaurant within the main hall, which would obviously be open to the members of the public as well as hotel guests, a hotel/restaurant bar and a roof level bar/dining space which would again be open to the public, but carefully managed. A flexible ‘event’ space/gym is provided in the basement with changing rooms etc."