Coogan, Burnham and the fight to revive Middleton: could it be grist to the mill for struggling British towns?

The Guardian Business · 10/22/2026, 11:22:03 AM

Turnaround initiated by the now prime minister and led by the actor could provide blueprint for other neglected areas Save high street by taxing online sales at higher rate, Burnham urged What makes a good town? Here are five key ingredients The former England footballer Paul Scholes and the actor Steve Coogan stare out from beside a fish and chip shop in Middleton, near Manchester . Looming over a mural of the pair – and the whole town – is an enormous former cotton mill that powered its economy a century ago. The deafening looms and spindles of Warwick Mill fell silent decades ago, replaced in recent years by TikTok “urban explorers” who share videos of themselves crawling through its abandoned shell. Continue reading...