York Handmade Brick Company secures £580,000 contract for 'pioneering' Manchester development

David Armitage, the chairman of York Handmade, said: “This is a massive project for us, especially in the context of these challenging economic times. It has been a tremendous boost for our factory and a great honour to contribute to a pioneering and innovative development which is redefining Manchester’s cityscape for the 21 st century.”

3 Circle Square, which is being developed by Manchester-based Bruntwood, will be a stand-alone brick-built block, close to Oxford Road. Designed by Bridge Architects of Manchester, it will offer flexible office space.

Work started on site last year and will be completed by February 2025.

The announcement comes after earlier this year, York Handmade incested £1.5 million into new technology at its site.

Speaking on the investment, Mr Armitage added: “This has proved to be a transformational move, by far the biggest and most significant in our history. Our revolutionary new manufacturing line combines three different types of brick - the Handmade Style, as currently produced, together with Water Struck and Pressed Bricks.

“These are challenging times, but I am confident we can maintain the progress we have made this year, despite inflation and the cost-of-living crisis. We are flourishing in commercial property and education sectors, whilst residential housing, which has been our staple for a number of years, remains strong.

“In these testing times, it is vital to spread our work across as many different markets as possible. Our contract at 3 Circle Square is a vital part of this.”