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Here is today's Mancunian Way:
by BETH ABBIT - Tues Aug 2, 2022
Hello and welcome,
It was a suburb created as a 'garden city' to house people happily, away from industrial Manchester - but Wythenshawe has long been in need of regeneration.
Now local leaders hope Levelling Up funding can help them transform the town centre. We'll be discussing the plans in today's newsletter.
Levelling Up Wythenshawe
This is how Wythenshawe town centre could look if leaders manage to secure £20m in Levelling Up funding. A culture hub, food hall and a new civic square are all part of ambitious plans for the area.
Manchester Council has submitted a bid to the government to make a slew of improvements including public realm changes, new employment space and decarbonisation of town centre buildings.
Leaders say redevelopment would help support the creation of hundreds of jobs and thousands of new homes - including affordable homes - on nearby council-owned brownfield land.
The council is developing a long-term vision for the town to ensure it is ‘fit for the future’.
Bosses say they have put together a strong bid for Wythenshawe - which is served by the Metrolink and is close to the motorway, Manchester Airport and the planned HS2 airport station. They say the scheme would complement both the redevelopment of Wythenshawe Hospital Campus and the airport’s current investment programme.
Coun Gavin White, executive member for Housing and Development, says the ‘highly competitive bid’ will act as the springboard for the transformation of Wythenshawe town centre. “It’s a confident place with huge potential. Securing this funding would accelerate the change we aspire to see and help unlock wider opportunities for the people of Wythenshawe,” he says.
The council recently agreed to buy Wythenshawe civic centre - which houses Asda, B&M and Iceland - and the multi-storey car park to support regeneration. A new Lidl supermarket has been proposed for the site of the former Gala Bingo, while street food favourites Grub are launching a monthly food festival in the town centre.
Wythenshawe's bid
Culture hub: Artist studios, performance space, community cinema
Food Hall: Events space for local produce by day and street food, drink and live music by night
Employment spaces: Co-working spaces and a new enterprise centre with focus on local start-ups, small businesses and larger floorplate managed office space
New civic square and public realm: Large new focal point for community events, improved accessibility, ‘sponge parks’ to increase biodiversity and reduce flood risk
Decarbonisation: Sustainable retrofit of existing buildings to improve energy performance and reduce carbon emissions. Solar PV cells on rooftop spaces
Heartbreaking decision
Childcare costs are among the many soaring to unaffordable rates. And some women have have been forced to consider having an abortion as a result, as Sophie Halle-Richards reports.
Charity Pregnant then Screwed say nearly one in five women have terminated their pregnancy due to the cost of childcare, with six in ten saying it influenced their decision. The average cost of putting a child in nursery part-time in 2022 rose to over £7,000 for children under two.
One woman said: "I have found it heartbreaking that I have had to have an abortion primarily because we could not afford the cost of childcare.
"If I had continued my pregnancy of a much wanted child I would have had to quit my job to care for them. This would have meant we had to sell our home as one salary would not cover the bills.
"This would have been detrimental to my one child. The system is a shambles and it is so upsetting."
Weather, etc.
- Wednesday: Sunny changing to cloudy by lunchtime. 22C.
- Roads closed: Eccles New Road eastbound from Weaste Road to Langworthy Road, until October 24. Ashton Road in both directions for water main work between Scottfield & Copster Hill Road until August 4.
- Trams: No service on Metrolink between Eccles and MediaCityUK due to engineering works until October 21.
- On the buses: Arriva services suspended due to strike action
- Today's Manc trivia question: What was Manchester Airport previously known as?
Answer at the bottom of the newsletter
Manchester headlines
Teens shot: Police say two teenage girls were injured during a drive-by shooting in Moss Side. A 16-year-old girl was rushed to hospital after being hit by shotgun pellets during the attack on Quinney Crescent, at 10.30pm, on Friday. Police now say a 13-year-old was also injured as a group gathered to celebrate the life of a loved one who died last year. Det Supt Chris Downey says: "We're incredibly lucky that we didn't have two murders that evening."
Warrant for Abedi: A warrant for the arrest of the elder brother of the Manchester Arena bomber has been issued by a district judge. Ishmale Ben Romdhan, 29, previously known as Ishmale Abedi, was convicted in his absence last month of failing to comply with a legal notice requiring him to give evidence at a public inquiry into the bombing atrocity. He fled the country despite being legally compelled to attend. Romdhan was warned to attend a hearing at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court in person today, but did not.
Crown Court closed: Manchester Crown Court will be closed for two weeks due to testing for asbestos. It’s understood a potential site of the carcinogen was discovered in the basement of the court, which was built in the 1960s. A 'routine asbestos survey' identified a need for further tests. So far tests have revealed no presence of airborne asbestos particles. The court will only be re-opened when it has been declared safe.
Another death at Styal: An inmate has died following a medical episode at HMP Styal. The woman was taken to hospital after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest at the Cheshire jail on Friday. She died in hospital on Monday. An investigation has been launched. It is the second death at the all-female jail in a month, and the seventh since 2018. The M.E.N understands the woman was two days into her first prison sentence when she fell ill.
Picket line: Wigan MP Lisa Nandy visited striking workers in her constituency yesterday - just days after Sir Keir Starmer sacked shadow transport secretary Sam Tarry over comments he made on a picket line. The Labour leader previously banned Labour frontbenchers from joining strikes. Shadow levelling up secretary Ms Nandy was pictured speaking to Communication Workers Union members from BT and Openreach during a 24-hour walkout over pay. She is understood to have informed the leader’s office in advance about her plans.
Top of the Pips
Boasting six dancefloors and the best hairstyles in Manchester, Pips was a mecca for goths and new romantics in the 1970s. The basement nightclub, on Fennel Street, is remembered fondly by ex-Stone Roses DJ Dave Booth, who said it was like walking onto the set of James Cameron’s Aliens movie.
“It was like the lair from the end of that movie, with stalactites and caves hidden in corners. It was loved by a lot of people.” Here’s a picture from the era.
Worth a read
Frank Rothwell is a fascinating fella. The 72-year-old has sailed around the world, crossed the Atlantic on a solo rowing trip, climbed Kilimanjaro and appeared on Bear Gryll's 'The Island'. But he says his latest role as the new owner of Oldham Athletic could be his toughest challenge yet.
He gave an ‘unforgettable’ press conference last week, in which he interrupted himself several times and broke into song. He insists he will put experienced 'football people' in key positions to make up for his lack of knowledge in the industry. And it’ll be a family affair, with his children Luke and Sue on the board.
Joe Bray has all the details about Frank’s plans for the club here.
That's all for today
Thanks for joining me, the next edition of the Mancunian Way will be with you around the same time tomorrow. If you have any stories you would like us to feature or look into, please contact me at beth.abbit@menmedia.co.uk
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The answer to today’s trivia question, what was Manchester Airport previously known as, is Ringway Airport?
