Coronation Street has failed to win listed status – because the buildings are not old enough.
The soap’s famous red brick houses and cobbled street have been threatened by redevelopment as production moves from central Manchester to Salford Quays, but English Heritage has now ruled the terrace cannot be listed as a historic building.
Despite the soap being over 50 years old, the current terraced houses were only built in 1982 and have had many additions since, meaning they has failed the strict requirements for protection, The Guardian reports.
ITV Granada are building a new replica of the Corrie set in Salford’s Media City, on the outskirts of Manchester and it had been hoped the original street would be preserved as a tourist attraction.
It is now under threat, however, with several housing and tourism groups reportedly interested in buying the site for redevelopment.
ITV Granada said in a statement: “We continue to consider the future of the Coronation Street set ahead of our planned move to Media City”.
The current full-size street was opened by the Queen in 1982. The first set in 1960 was indoors and previous outdoor streets on the site were built smaller than life-size to fit the studio space.
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