Environmental campaign group Trees Not Cars are taking the council to court in an attempt to overturn their decision to turn the former Central Retail park into a car park. Manchester City Council announced their short- and long-term vision for the old Central Retail Park on Great Ancoats Street, on 10 February. The site has […]
Sustainable development or mini America – which will Manchester choose?
Andrea Sandor argues why we should use the Netherlands as a sustainable development model for integrated housing and transport, and not the USA. Attending a talk by Transport for New Homes (TfNH) recently I was delighted to discover their strapline is “Sustainable development or mini America”. As someone who grew up in America, I fully […]
Can degrowth steer us towards a sustainable future?
Vincent Liegey is a spokesperson for the degrowth movement, which is investigating and promoting alternatives to our current unsustainable global economic model. A model which is proving disastrous for our climate and environment while creating growing inequality, instability and misery in societies across the world. On a recent visit to Manchester he discussed the myriad […]
Sir Richard Leese says ‘we are open to working with anybody’ – we asked campaign groups what they thought (pt.4)
In response to a recent blog post by Sir Richard Leese, we’ve been asking local groups to share their experiences of working with Manchester City Council. Sir Richard Leese says the council are open to working with any parties interested in environmental and development issues. This is the fourth article in a Meteor series called […]
Review of Sin City: The Morality Of Urban Growth
Panel discussion event called Sin City covered the morality issues around property development Manchester city centre. A city which is going through a high rise, primarily rental, property development boom while many are simultaneously experiencing the sharp end of a housing and homelessness crisis. In Manchester for some years now there has been a series […]
Council leadership ruthlessly prioritises development and profit over its citizens wellbeing
The Manchester branch of Labour’s Momentum group criticise the leadership of Manchester City Council for its role in the approval of a plan for a temporary 440 space car park on the former Ancoats retail park site. Last Thursday, campaigners from Trees Not Cars – supported by a coalition of organisations that included Manchester Momentum […]
Campaigners vow to fight council’s approval of car park plan for former Ancoats retail park
The council’s planning committee have voted to accept the proposal for a 440 space car park on the outskirts of the city centre. A decision, campaigners say, breaks the spirit of the councils climate emergency declaration and will increase carbon emissions and other pollutants dangerous to the health of children in a nearby school Manchester […]
Former UN special rapporteur says city development should ‘create landscapes for life, not landscapes for rent’
Professor Raquel Rolnik, a former UN special rapporteur, condemned the financialisation of housing provision in cities across the world, which she says is responsible for rising rents, increasing evictions and homelessness in many countries. Rolnik says neoliberal economic philosophy underpins this radical change in housing provision, which is failing to provide housing to those most […]
Proposal to develop Central Retail Park into a car park represents the very worst of urban development in Manchester
Manchester Labour for a Green New Deal argue that the city council’s plans to turn the former Central Retail Park into a car park will increase traffic pollution, damage health and fail to tackle the climate crisis that the council has previously declared. The proposal by Manchester City Council to develop the site of the […]
There’s no Pride in Abu Dhabi, yet the council is still in bed with this abusive state
Manchester Pride is a wonderful life affirming event that highlights the progress made in accepting sexual and gender preference diversity in the UK, and the many changes we still need to make to provide LGBT+ people with equal rights and opportunities. Manchester City Council (MCC) is broadcasting its support for the event, but these words […]