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 […]
Pedal power: protests for pop-up cycle lanes take off
Three weeks ago, Manchester City Council promised to “work with” neighbouring councils on pop-up cycle lanes. The lack of follow-through has prompted Extinction Rebellion and A6 Cycle Action to stage protests this week for pop-up lanes to deliver a green and socially just post-lockdown recovery. Protests to highlight Manchester City Council’s inaction on creating pop-up […]
We need ‘pop-up’ cycle lanes – Manchester should reconsider decision
On Friday, Manchester City Council announced on Twitter it will not be bidding for pop-up cycle provision as part of a GMCA bid for £16 million from government. City centre resident, Sarah Mann, explains why she’s disappointed about the decision and what we stand to lose if we don’t have a regionally joined-up ‘pop-up’ cycle […]
Toys given a second life to save the environment
Social enterprise Visit from the Stork has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support its new toy sharing scheme, which aims to save families money and help the environment by reusing and recycling plastic toys across Greater Manchester. A crowdfunding campaign has been launched by the local social enterprise Visit from the Stork, to support its […]
To combat Covid-19, Universal Basic Income must go viral worldwide
To combat the coronavirus pandemic a Universal Basic Income must be introduced to give people the financial security needed for them to self isolate effectively – argue Paul Harnett and Laura Bannister of campaign group World Basic Income. We are already seeing radical attempts across the world to lift people out of poverty so that […]
Wood Street Mission: helping families in poverty since 1869
Public services have been slashed by the false economy of austerity and child poverty is on the increase. Wood Street Mission is a charity in Manchester that provides a wide range of services for children and families that are most in need of help. Austerity has hit public services hard in Manchester and left vulnerable […]
Fighting talk from Labour rally this week
On Monday 2 September, the Labour Party held a rally at the Lowry in Salford. I’d only received notification of it the night before, but even at such short notice it was an opportunity not to be missed. A snap general election is likely, and Labour is getting their message out while the current government […]
Show your face and go home: asylum seekers and migrants forced to travel from Stoke to Salford for two-minute appointments
People living in Stoke-on-Trent with pending asylum and immigration claims have been told by the Home Office that they have to report at Dallas Court in Salford – an 80 to 90-mile round trip. Over 80,000 people per year have to report at their local Home Office reporting centre or a police station. In the […]
Endemic avoidance of payments to councils by property developers revealed, while affordable housing is sacrificed for profit
A comprehensive report on the huge sums of money fuelling the housing development boom in the city centre has revealed the scale of non-payment of development funding to the council: only 8% of housing development in Manchester City Centre included in the study had any Section 106 agreement at all. The lack of money collected […]
Rochdale regeneration or profit before people?
When Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) announced its simultaneous proposals for the regeneration of College Bank and Lower Falinge, on the 24 June, they were presented as the only solution and as somehow being radical. The proposals are certainly radical in terms of demolition. There will be an estimated loss of 720 primarily social rent properties […]