Financial support is vital for millions this winter, but Greater Manchester’s standoff asks deeper questions about the legitimacy of a government which is bullying and lying its way through the Covid-19 crisis – writes Salford’s city-mayor Paul Dennett
Revealed: Temporary accommodation going through the roof in Greater Manchester
Official figures show the number of homeless households living in temporary accommodation is rocketing across Greater Manchester, with Manchester showing the biggest rise of all.
Salford’s Inspiring Homes Community Land Trust, are creating much needed social housing
A Salford based Community Land Trust is turning their community-oriented approach towards solving the complex housing needs of residents, by adopting a community-led housing approach, which opposes the forces leading to gentrification.
We have a collective right to Manchester — let’s proclaim it
Our report on public land privatisation published two weeks ago has sparked a political debate across our city on how we might better manage our public assets. Here we publish reflections from an organiser at Greater Manchester Labour for a Green New Deal.
How Manchester’s bus drivers beat ‘fire and rehire’
After 85 days on strike, Manchester’s bus drivers have forced corporate giant Go Ahead to abandon its plans to fire and rehire almost 500 workers – it’s a victory not only for them, but for workers across the country.
Salford Star closure – how Salford council tried to block and discredit the Star
The Salford Star has shut down. This article is a warning to others who may follow, on the pitfalls of founding a genuine publication that aims to give the community a voice and hold public bodies up to account. They will try to discredit you, block information and shut you down.
Here the Salford Star editor, Stephen Kingston, looks at how democracy perished badly under the Salford mayoral system.
Burnham urged to act against government’s proposed planning system changes
Open letter calls on Andy Burnham, and the leaders of the conurbation’s ten boroughs, to “intervene” in the government’s plans to change the UK planning system, which the campaigners call an “emergency for communities and local authorities across England.”
Manctopia: reality TV in a journalism jumper
The series trailer and episode lead-ins for the BBC documentary Manctopia are suggestive of a series seeking to analyse the inequalities associated with Manchester’s “property boom”.
Instead, this glossy reality TV entrenches a misguided message that uncontrolled investor-driven urban development is the only possible trajectory. Its winners vs losers framing negatively impacts those communities experiencing the pressures of gentrification on a daily basis.
Salford Middlewood Locks looking to avoid planning contributions for third time
Huge Chinese and Singapore Salford development has avoided £8.3 million in fees so far.
The 25 acre Middlewood Locks development should have yielded £8.3million in planning fees to Salford City Council but in its first two phases didn’t pay a cent because of ‘viability’ issues.
Next week, the Council’s Planning Panel will consider proposals for the third phase of 189 residential units plus commercial space, and the company has submitted a further ‘viability’ report which could lead to no payments yet again – despite the previous planning report stating that “The Council’s surveyors are confident that future residential phases will make a S106 contribution”…
Social housing is key to alleviating the housing crisis, so why are we not building it?
National statistics show that across GM as social housing has fallen, housing waiting lists and temporary accommodation has risen. Mayor of Salford Paul Dennett and author of “Safe as Houses” Stuart Hodkinson give their views on the state of social housing and what needs to be done to improve it. It was the crises of […]