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Here's the Mancunian Way for today:
Hello,
“Modern architecture in Manchester has gone too far now,” joked a friend the other day, while gazing up at the enormous white wrapping currently covering Manchester Town Hall.
To be fair, the blanket of protective material that the historic building is wrapped in does look a bit like something that would fall onto the desk of a planning officer.
The aerial view of what is currently one of Europe's biggest construction sites is an extraordinary image.
Since it was closed in 2018, workers have dismantled and rebuilt 34 chimneys, installed new lifts and refurbished hundreds of windows at the Town Hall as part of a £300m restoration project. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when it’s reopened next year.
On to the news. The arrival of around 100 asylum seekers at a hotel in Hale has been a huge topic of debate in recent weeks. But experts say it is ultimately indicative of the ‘failure’ of the government to run the asylum system ‘in an ordered and fair way’. We’ll be discussing that in today’s newsletter.
We’ll also be taking a look at the cost of living crisis laid bare in a tragic case and the museum looking for an artist to 'compliment' the work of L.S. Lowry.
‘It's not their fault’
A number of families and single women seeking asylum began moving into a hotel in the affluent Trafford suburb of Hale yesterday.
The Home Office is said to have amended its plans after Altrincham and Sale West MP Sir Graham Brady, said it would be preferable if the hotel was housing families ‘rather than young single men’.
Sir Graham said placing a group of young men - who would not be allowed to work - could cause issues in the village, which has a population of just over 15,000. “I think it’s the worst possible place to house a very large number of young men who are by definition, because they are not allowed to work, unemployed,” he said previously.
The MP has since been given assurances that at least 80 per cent of those housed in the village will be families, as the BBC reports. "I think the experience of other places where that has been the approach is that the young men tend to behave better when they're in the company of family groups,” he told BBC Radio Manchester.
Trafford Council leader Tom Ross, also wrote to Home Secretary Suella Braverman describing the policy as ‘utterly disjointed’, outlining concerns that the area simply doesn’t have enough resources and services to cope with the influx of people.
“These are difficult enough issues to grapple with, without the Home Office only letting us know at the last minute,” he said.
Local democracy reporter Nick Jackson has today been speaking to residents of Hale village about the new arrivals. He found most people were concerned about the wellbeing of those just arriving in Hale. They insist the debate is not about ‘nimbyism’.
One woman told Nick there are ‘not enough services as it is’, adding: “We can’t even get a doctor’s appointment. How are they going to manage?”
Another woman said some of the reactions to the announcement have been ‘appalling’ and locals should be ‘welcoming them with open arms’. “I’m saying ‘there but for the grace of God go I'.
"It’s not their fault. And I think we do have resources to look after them,” she said.
The Refugee Council says hotels are increasingly used to house asylum-seekers and they are ‘not the right place’. “What’s happening in Hale is indicative of the failure of the government to run the asylum system in an ordered and fair way,” head of communications Mark Davies says.
He says of the 143,000 from places like Afghanistan, Sudan, Iran, Iraq and Eritrea who are awaiting a decision, ‘a very high number will be granted asylum’. “By not managing the situation properly the Government doesn’t know what to do with them,” he says.
“We want to see a fair and humane asylum system where claims can be processed quickly and people can integrate into the community. I can completely understand why local communities are bemused by it. Local authorities need more support from central government to manage the pressure on their resources.”
The Home Office has said it cannot comment on arrangements for individual sites used for asylum accommodation.
‘Kouame belongs here’
A former political activist who fled civil war in Ivory Coast is facing 'forced removal' from the UK on a flight, a charity claims.
Kouame fled to the UK in 2014 because of 'explicit risks to his life' and sought refuge in Greater Manchester, as Paul Britton writes.
Manchester-based human rights charity Refugee and Asylum Participatory Action Research (RAPAR) says he contacted several charities and joined a number of active groups.
"Kouame is cherished by many people in Greater Manchester as the letters and messages of support we have received have shown. Kouame belongs here,” a spokesperson said.
It’s understood Kouame was made homeless but found accommodation in Salford through the mayor’s 'A Bed Every Night' scheme. His initial claim for asylum was turned down and an appeal against the decision was rejected by a judge.
RAPAR say it would now be far easier for him to recover evidence to back his claim from Ivory Coast as the political situation in the African country has settled.
But they said Kouame was recently detained at a Home Office reporting centre in Greater Manchester before being taken to the Dungavel Immigration Detention Centre in Scotland, then returned to Manchester, where he remains in detention.
The charity is urgently seeking legal representation for Kouame. It believes he is due to be transferred to a site near Heathrow ahead of a booked 'removal flight' to Ivory Coast on Friday.
The Home Office says cases are considered on individual merits and all available evidence ‘carefully and sensitively considered’. “We will not return anyone to countries where they have been found to be at risk of persecution or serious harm,” they said.
Critical incident at hospital
The Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan continues to remain in a 'critical incident' for a second day amid 'immense pressure' on services.
As Tom George reports, the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust announced that the hospital's A&E department was 'full' following 'unprecedented attendances' and 'growing pressures' on services on Wednesday.
In response, the trust raised the hospital's position to a critical incident, which means it can take additional action to maintain safe services for patients in a bid to try and tackle increasing pressures. The hospital was also facing 'ongoing challenges' in discharging patients who are now well enough to leave hospital, the trust said.
A spokesperson for the trust confirmed that the critical incident remained in place at the hospital on Thursday afternoon.
How many more?
An elderly woman who died after developing hypothermia told medics she couldn't afford her heating.
Barbara Bolton, 87, was admitted to Fairfield Hospital with hypothermia and a chest infection on December 11 last year. It’s understood that hospital notes indicate her illness was linked to the fact she could not afford to put her heating on. An inquest into her death was opened at Rochdale Coroners' Court last week.
Health reporter Helena Vesty has been speaking to medics who say Mrs Bolton’s death has laid bare the realities of the cost of living crisis.
Dr Zahid Chauhan, a GP based in Moorgate Primary Care Centre in Bury, says it’s a ‘scandal’. "We're in one of the richest countries in the world and people are developing hypothermia because they're too afraid to put their heating on or can't afford it. You hear these worries on a daily basis from patients who talk about struggling to warm their homes. Pensioners or people on a low wage or those with chronic conditions will feel this even more.
"This is just the tip of the iceberg. This is just the first case we've discovered, how many other cases are there that we don't know about?"
One paramedic told Helena they have been to many homes where old people are reverting to using gas heaters. Others have been forced to wait outside hospitals for hours as A&E departments struggle with demand.
Bury South MP Christian Wakeford says this is the reality for many people in his constituency and across the UK. “In 2023 it is deeply unacceptable. I would encourage all local communities to check on your neighbours, particularly those who may be vulnerable.”
Artist for hire
Fancy yourself as a modern day L.S. Lowry? Then this could be the job for you.
Bolton Council is looking to commission an artist to create illustrations for a visual story map showing the key features of a walk Lowry used to do from his home in Pendlebury to Bolton.
The illustrations will feature in an exhibition opening at Bolton Museum on March 25 - which is built around Lowry’s famous ‘Going to the Match’ painting.
The artist will also be asked to portray Bolton football fans in a ‘cigarette card’ style for the art show.
A job description posted on the Arts Council England website said: “We are looking for an illustration style that complements rather than copies Lowry’s famous style.”
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Weather etc
Friday: Overcast. 11C.
Road closures: M56 Eastbound exit slip road to the A34 closed due to roadworks at A34 Kingsway until February 5.
One lane closed due to carriageway repairs on M56 in both directions between J7 A556 Chester Road (Bowdon) and J5 (Manchester Airport) until February 18.
Trivia question: Which suburb of east Manchester shares its name with a city in Yorkshire?
Manchester headlines
Inquiry: The third and final report arising from the public inquiry into the Manchester Arena terrorist bombing is due to be published next month, it's been confirmed. The report, due to be released on March 2, has been compiled on evidence heard surrounding the planning and preparation that was carried out for the attack by the Abedi brothers, the radicalisation of mass murderer Salman Abedi and whether the atrocity could have been prevented. It's likely to crucially address what was known by the security services and counter-terror policing prior to the atrocity, but wide redactions are expected as certain evidence was heard behind closed doors for reasons of national security. More here.
- Bouncing back: Manchester’s hospitality industry has bounced back to exceed pre-pandemic levels according to new figures. Data from customer experience consultancy have shown that sales in the city’s pubs, restaurants and bars from the period of November 20, 2022, to January 1, 2023, surpassed those recorded during the same period in 2019 for the first time. Manchester was ranked third in the UK of the top-performing cities in the hospitality industry, behind Glasgow at the top and Birmingham in second place, though the figures do mean that Manchester dropped from first place last year. By contrast, London was at the bottom of the UK’s top 10 cities for the same period last year, and was in 10th place last year too. Nearly 85,000 people are employed in hospitality in Greater Manchester.
Foundation: Warehouse Project boss Sacha Lord is launching a foundation to help young people in Manchester get into the hospitality industry. “This is something that’s been simmering for a couple of years,” he said. “I think I’m walking evidence that in my industry, in events and in hospitality, there is no barrier, anybody can get involved in it.” The foundation will encourage young people from Greater Manchester to apply for funding for college or vocational courses, even for university studies. More here.
Tipping point: Furious Evri delivery drivers refused to pick up parcels from one of the firm's delivery units in south Manchester on Wednesday morning - in response to changes to their routes which they say will affect their earnings. They say they 'grafted hard' over the Christmas period to help clear a huge backlog but claim the 'tipping point' came when changes to their routes were implemented this week. Some allege the number of parcels allocated to them has been 'slashed.' Evri say they are in discussions with ‘a small number of couriers’ who are unhappy with some changes to delivery rounds but deliveries are not affected as a result. Full story here.
Worth a read
A relic of a world which no longer exists or the last reminder of a 'working class heritage which is being eradicated'?
Dr Jenna Ashton is spear-heading a push to ensure east Manchester gets to keep some of its famous gas towers after the National Grid demolishes them. The lecturer in Heritage Studies at the University of Manchester is keen to keep chunks of the metal structure for posterity.
“I have been interested in the gasworks for a long time,” she told city centre reporter Ethan Davies. “So much evidence of working class heritage has been removed from Ancoats.
“The evidence of a working class neighbourhood has been eradicated. The hippodromes have gone, and so have the play houses. The gasworks are the last reminder of that.”
You can read Ethan’s full piece here.
That's all for today
Thanks for joining me. If you have stories you would like us to look into, email beth.abbit@menmedia.co.uk.
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The answer to today's trivia question is: Bradford
