The coronavirus lockdown means that council planning decisions will be delegated to a small team of council officers and not subject to scrutiny by a full planning committee. The power to decide on major Manchester planning applications has now been delegated to council chief executive Joanne Roney, alongside chair of the planning committee Cllr Basil […]
Coronavirus: how the UK government is using behavioural science
Stuart Mills a PhD researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University, reports on the use of behavioural science nudges, by the UK government in combating the coronavirus crisis. The UK government’s handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic has come under serious criticism, not just from citizens, but from leaders around the world. One of the reasons for […]
Learning from housing histories: why we need to requisition property to address the pandemic
The UK Government’s commitment to upholding individualised private property during the global Coronavirus pandemic is matched only by their wilful ignorance of historical responses to crises. By Samuel Burgum of the Urban Institute at the University of Sheffield At the time of writing, they are ignoring modest calls by organisations such as Streets Kitchen to buy up hotel […]
77% of residents living in Greater Manchester cladded high rises concerned about fire risk
A survey of private renters, social renters and owners undertaken by Greater Manchester High Rise Task Force, led by Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, underlines the confusion and potential panic felt by those living in high rise properties and living with the risk of fire. Never mind coronavirus and floods, residents are still living in […]
‘The Future is Human’ according to MIPIM – but whose future and for which humans?
Beth Redmond questions Manchester City Councils involvement in the MIPIM international real-estate conference in Cannes, beginning on 10 March 2020. A four day extravaganza, where lavish hospitality is provided by property development companies hoping to strike a deal with those who can offer them the land to build on. The theme of this year’s MIPIM […]
Salford City Council set to approve subsidy for English Cities Fund
Salford City Council is set to approve an outrageous £4.752million subsidy to the English Cities Fund, or ECf, to build a 23 storey block of apartments off Stanley Street that will feature ‘no affordable housing’. The ECf, is a partnership that includes the financially massive Legal and General company and Muse Developments, and the funding […]
Re-focussing the economy in times of climate emergency and economic exclusion
In a talk given to Manchester Labour Backbenchers’ Committee on 6 February 2020 Mark H Burton of Steady State Manchester outlined some of the key problems and potential solutions to climate emergency. In addressing this overall question, I will set out what I see as some of the key challenges, identify the main contenders for […]
Greater Manchester Fire Service cuts still ‘unsafe’ says firefighters union
As GM Mayor Burnham defers some cuts to fire service, the FBU condemns ‘unsafe’, ‘depleted service’. Guest article from the Salford Star. Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, has deferred some cuts to the fire service through adding an additional £6.25 increase to the Mayoral Precept within the Council Tax. But a letter to firefighters from […]
There’s a reason why you don’t see many black and ethnic minority faces in cultural spaces
Roaa Ali, a research associate at the University of Manchester, investigates the issues around ethnic inequalities in the arts, where BAME people are underrepresented in the creation and consumption of artistic work. Guest article from The Conversation. Have you ever been to the theatre, looked around, and thought about how predominantly white the audience is? […]
Salford’s Islington Mill gets huge lottery heritage grant
Islington Mill gets £746,000 grant to safeguard future. Mill director says award will enable the building to “host creativity for the next 200 years”. Guest article from the Salford Star. The Grade II listed acclaimed arts hub, Islington Mill, has been awarded a huge £746,000 National Lottery Heritage grant to safeguard its future. The funding […]