MULE weekly news round-up

Article published: Sunday, December 13th 2009

The second of MULE’s new weekly news round-up. Manchester MPs’ expenses, Council Chief Exec gets top business award, more public money, football pitches on Chorlton Meadows and more…

Monday

Bernstein given CBI award

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) North West have named Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive of Manchester City Council, as its business leader of the year. This award is normally given to some one from the private sector. Interesting what that says about Manchester City Council – maybe that’s why the Tories are thinking of making him one of their peers?

Tuesday

Man jailed indefinitely for gun threat

James Drewitt, who has a string of previous convictions and alleged affiliations with gang the Longsight Crew, stormed up to the man outside a pub in Gorton without any provocation.

However, in an interesting turn of events the gun was wrestled from the attacker by the man being threatened. He then headbutted Drewitt who was then set upon by a gang of lads and stabbed.

Networking Not Working

According to Manchester Evening News 96 Manchester City Council workers are still allowed to use social networking websites on Town Hall computers. Nicknamed the ‘twitterati’ – these privileged workers have escaped a ban that has been enforced against the Council’s 18,000 other staff.

Council staff accessed Facebook 9,072 times in September. and logged into Twitter 242 visits. The figures for August were similar, with 8,983 visits to Facebook and 268 to Twitter.

Arrests made over gun attack

Three men were charged over the shooting of a man for his laptop and £10,000.

Khurram Ashraf was shot outside his friend’s money transfer shop on Stamford Road in Longsight last week. He died later in hospital from his injuries.

Wednesday

AGMA and GMP boss call for minimum alcohol price

According to the MEN Police Chief Fahy told the city’s Pub and Club Network that supermarkets were responsible for excessive drinking and antisocial behaviour with promotions undercutting more traditional and responsible pub drinking.

He said: “Youngsters would have ‘learned’ to drink at their local working men’s club, British Legion or pub and a lot of those have closed down because they’ve been undercut by supermarkets.”

The MEN revealed earlier this year how Manchester topped a table of areas in Britain most affected by alcohol, with drink set to kill 38,000 in the region over the next decade.

This story created some interesting debate on the MEN website. Deejay from Bury commented that “it doesn’t happen in the rest of Europe where they have even cheaper alcohol for sale”. Meanwhile Gortonia of Gorton asked: “Why not close all pubs, ban supermarkets from selling booze, ban cigs, ban people laughing…put more soaps and reality programmes on TV so people can really enjoy their free time and don’t forget to phone your local nick at 8.30 every night to report in.”

Perhaps only the rich should be allowed to drink?

More public money to private companies

Salford City Council and Wigan Borough Council have entered into partnership with a business consortium to provide new schools in the region.

The consortium will design, build, refurbish and manage more than 20 new and existing schools across the two authorities. According to Craines, the cross-border private finance initiative (PFI) is the first of its kind in the Northwest.

It is part of a national program to rebuild England’s secondary schools which is funded by central government with contributions from local authorities.

Broken Green belt promise

Campaigners are up in arms over a move to build a 209-acre industrial park on a redeveloped open cast mine. Hundreds of protestors gathered at the Town Hall on Wednesday night to demonstrate against the plans at a public meeting.

Campaigners lost a fight to stop coal being mined at the site more than 20 years ago. Planning permission was only granted after it was decided that the site should become a country park once mining ceased. Now many are angry that the Council has reneged on this promise with both Labour and Lib Dem councillors backing the plans.

Thursday

Chorlton Meadows to be made into football pitches despite protests

Planning officer Dave Morris recommended permission be given for the “erection and remodelling of the existing pavillion, the creation of one grass pitch and one artificial pitch with floodlights, landscaping and alterations to the footpath”.

There were 929 letters opposing the development with just 183 in favour.

There have been concerns over the destruction of wildlife, plants and trees in an area of biodiversity, the loss of green belt land as well as light and noise pollution.

All the councillors in the Chorlton and Chorlton Park wards, Withington MP John Leech the Environment Agency, Greater Manchester Ecology Unit and the Council for the Protection of Rural England have all voiced their opposition to the plan.

However, planners Sport England and Manchester Leisure Services felt it would bring social benefits.

Friday

Manchester MPs’ expenses

The MEN published a very comprehensive list of MPs’ expenses claims from the Northwest. You can read it here.

£100 million Northwest Urban Investment Fund announced

The North West Development Agency (NWDA) and European Regional Development Fund have each put in £50 million for the new scheme.

New NWDA Chairman Robert Hough said: “This initiative is an opportunity for the region to put a mechanism in place that will ensure we can prolong the benefit of our ERDF Programme. The Northwest Urban Investment Fund will allow us to invest in revolving funding, in addition to the normal single use grants. This investment will be in the form of equity, loan or guarantee.

“The returns from these investments can be re-used on other projects again, and again, extending the life of our European funding and helping us to maintain a level of physical regeneration during the challenging economic climate.”

The fund is part of the EU’s JESSICA scheme (Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas), the first of its kind outside the London area. It will be open to submissions from April.