Campaigners call for Andy Burnham to uphold his election manifesto promise and introduce a Land Commission in Greater Manchester, following the example set by the Liverpool city region.
Are council deals with developers offering best value? Research paper questions development policy and calls for greater transparency
New research paper investigating the sale of public land in Manchester to property developers, questions whether the public are getting value for money in these deals.
Authors highlight lack of available information on development deals and call for a Land Commission. Manchester City Council responds.
Fossil fuel holdings increase at GM Pension Fund, after claims it would divest from them
Analysis of the Fund’s 2021 annual report by Fossil Free Greater Manchester shows the Fund increased its holdings of fossil fuel shares between 2019 and 2020, undercutting its claims it has made moves to divest.
The Salford Star, reporting with ‘attitude & love’ for 15 years, is closing
‘I can think of only two local newspapers that consistently hold power to account: the West Highland Free Press and the Salford Star’ said journalist and author George Monbiot. The Salford Star is to close after the elections in May. Judith Suckling talks to Stephen Kingston, the journalism powerhouse behind the Star, on its rise and fall.
‘Lifelong fans no longer matter’ – Manchester responds to news of European Super League
All six English clubs have now withdrawn from the Super League. However, Manchester’s football fans, MPs and local economy experts believe the aborted plan underlines a desperate need to democratise the beautiful game. The Meteor presents their views of the plans.
Andy Burnham slams Go North West bosses, promising that bus franchising will be ‘no race to the bottom’
Fire and re-hire has no place in Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said. Standing for re-election as Greater Manchester Mayor, on Wednesday he slammed the bosses of Go North West, currently in a ‘fire and re-hire’ dispute with bus drivers. Mayor Andy Burnham said: “I do not believe that the way in which this has been […]
Kindling Farm’s Community Share Offer is about ‘growing hope’ in fair and sustainable food production
Using ‘pioneering’ farming techniques the Kindling Farm initiative aims to ‘challenge the dominant industrialised’ agricultural model. The Community Share Offer aims to raise money to buy a farm, with a potential return for investors.
Burnham brings GM bus network back under public control
The metro mayor said the “deregulated” bus network had “not been driven by the needs of our communities, but by bus operators’ responsibilities to their shareholders to make a profit… We can only change that and hold the decline if we bring the buses back under the control of the public.”
Greater Manchester leaders back bringing buses under public control
“On balance, it is in the public interest to make the proposed franchising scheme,” TfGM chief executive Eamonn Boylan told GM council leaders, as they gave the green light on re-franchising the city region’s buses.
Andy Burnham will now make the final decision on introducing a London-style franchise system.
Greater Manchester, with over £1bn in stock, has largest pension fund fossil fuel investment in UK
Greater Manchester Pension Fund is the biggest investor by far in fossil fuels of any local government pension scheme in the country. Environmental groups are calling on GMPF to divest from fossil fuels, to help tackle the climate emergency.