The passing of two controversial building proposals in Manchester raises the question – who does the city’s development model serve? A land commission for Greater Manchester could provide answers to that question and point the way to a more equitable use of land in the future.
Put people – not profit – at heart of land use, says Liverpool Land Commission
England’s first Land Commission, facilitated by the Manchester-based Centre for Local Economic Strategies, said Liverpool’s leaders should recognise “the true social purpose of land” rather than seeing it just as a “commodity”.
CLES welcomes Sarah Longlands as new chief executive
Former director of IPPR North and advocate for regional development in the North of England joined the Manchester-based ‘think and do’ tank in June.
Neil McInroy: taking the fight for a fairer economy to America
At the forefront of establishing the community wealth building model across the UK, Neil McInroy is taking on a fresh challenge. The Meteor speaks to him about his departure from the Centre of Local Economic Strategies to take up a new post in the United States.
Undressing centuries of exploitation within Manchester’s fashion industry
The dark satanic mills of Manchester may have been transformed into chic apartments and office space, but the exploitation and abuse that went on in those mills hasn’t disappeared.
Our addiction to fast fashion means we import the majority of clothes made from global south countries, who have built there own satanic mills to replace our own. Fast fashion brands based in Manchester are making a killing from this trade.
Reshaping ownership within adult social care
Adult social care is broken. After years of marketisation and outsourcing we are left with a service where large market players dominate. Taxpayers’ money, and the savings of older people, are being extracted out of the system for shareholder gain.
The Centre for Local Economic Strategies have published a report on the issues involved.
The report’s author, Tom Lloyd Goodwin, reflects on how ownership models must be shifted to fix that broken system.
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.
The privatisation of Manchester
As Manchester becomes increasingly gentrified and local communities are priced out, a new report on the city’s land use has found a pattern of privatisation and sell-offs – aided and abetted by its Labour council.
‘We’re going to stay here for as long as it takes’ – Ryebank Fields camp occupiers demand a development rethink
Setting up a protest camp in Ryebank Fields, campaigners are calling for Manchester Metropolitan University to rethink their plans to sell the land for development. The camp occupiers call for community control of the land to use as a recreational green space and a haven for wildlife.
Manchester zine takes top spot in the Post Growth Challenge
The Post Growth Challenge was set to provide concise and accessible summaries of the alternatives to the dominant global economic system which says infinite growth is possible on finite planetary resources.
Steady State Manchester presents the entries to the challenge, including the zine created by University of Manchester students which earned top spot.