MM e-edition: March 2018

COUNCIL AT SIXES AND SEVENS OVER HOUSING Affordable housing analysis - pages 4/5

@MM_newsonline www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

Plastic fantastic: city to trash single-use

page 7

Scandipop sensation Sigrid sings

page 12

FREE

Salford City smash Spartans

page 15

Arena attack: verdict on emergencyresponse

By Helena Vesty, Dan Hall & Laura FitzPatrick

GREATER Manchester Fire and Rescue Service failed the public during the Manchester Arena attack last year, according to a report published this week.

The Kerslake Report – an independent inquiry into the emergency service response to the May 22 terrorist attack which killed 22 people – has revealed that GMFRS played “no meaningful role” in the response after they took over two hours to arrive at the Arena.Individual firefighters have previously reported that, although they were eager to help, they were held back by senior management. Today’s revelations of bureaucratic conflicts supports these claims.

The Service’s failure has been put down to widespread communication problems within the GMFRS

itself and between other emergency services.

The report also raised “the complete failure” of the emergency helpline provided by Vodafone, press reform in light of victims’ families being “hounded” by journalists, the inability to track the nearest armed responders due to differing location systems used by police forces.The largest finding of the report is the failure of the Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service to respond duly and quickly – it took an overwhelming two hours before they added any assistance to the emergency.

Perhaps more shocking is that GMFRS’ average response time is five minutes, 41 seconds in the months just after the attack. This incited the panel to ask: “How can it be that a principal first responder failed to arrive on the scene of a major incident for two hours?”

One explanation cited is that in the first hour after the detonation, the North West Fire Control received

just three calls related to the incident, only one of which was from a member of the public, by mistake.

Whilst the report said there was no one single problem or individual responsible for GMFRS’ delay, it reported that the issue was rather a “combination of poor communication and poor procedures.”

An anonymous firefighter on service during the attack spoke later to the BBC of the inertia prevalent on the night: "I don't want people – the public – to think that we didn't want to go or we were scared to go. We were held back by the senior management."

The helpline, an emergency system contracted by the Home Office for victims families, was only available for 4.5 hours after the explosion.This left worried loved ones to frantically search Greater Manchester Hospitals before they could use the helpline at 3am.

The 0800 number allocated for the Arena attack had been previously used in another incident else-

where. This phone number still had a pre-recorded voicemail message, relating to the other attack.Severe technical incompetence and oversubscribed servers meant that no one from Vodafone, nor its subcontractors, could could work out how to delete the message.The Home Office has since said that “no such failure will occur again in the future."

A Vodafone a spokesperson told MM: “As a result of a failure of one of our systems, Greater Manchester Police was not able to issue an 0800 incident response number in the immediate aftermath of the Manchester Arena Attack. This was clearly unacceptable and we sincerely apologise for the distress caused to those affected by this terrible attack.

“We have since undertaken a major upgrade of the system in question and it is being tested on a daily basis.”

Continued on page 3

wwww.mancunianmatters.co.uk

March 2018

2

Lecturer strike causes student strife PROTEST: Professors picket pinching of pension pots.

By Helena Vesty FOUR weeks of strikes staged by university staff across the country have now come and gone.

Over 60 universities saw picket lines form over proposed changes to the pension scheme of University and College Union (UCU) members. The participants say that the new plan would leave them £10,000 worse off in retirement, with younger staff reported to be among the worst affected.

A strike ballot posed early on by the UCU showed that an overwhelming 88% of surveyed members supported strike action.

This apparently resounding approval was indeed met with widespread protests at campuses across the country and a strong presence of #ucustrike on social media.

Manchester is no exception. Staff at the University of Manchester and University of Salford both staged walkouts.

Speaking to MM at one of the rallies, Dr Richie Nimmo, a lecturer in Sociology, described the pension changes: “In terms of its impact on planning for the future, we’re moving towards a situation where people are just not going to be able to afford to retire. It won’t be possible to pay off mortgages.

“The severity of what’s being proposed makes it untenable.”

A number of those striking in Manchester have already noticed victories, paving the way for the change.

Dr Hannah Quirk, a Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law and Justice at UoM, praised the action: “The action’s gone better than anybody thought it

would do in terms of the number of people coming out.

It’s been very useful in terms of meeting likeminded people.”

However, this united front is far is still often overshadowed by other developments in what may be one of the most tumultuous periods in higher education history.

On the surface of the debate, the action has been marred by allegations from both sides about the accuracy of the figures used. Perhaps the most stark contrast in numbers is at the very core of the dispute.

Universities UK has stated that the pension scheme cuts are essential, due to a £6.1bn deficit between how much it has and how much it will owe to members in the future.

Conversely, the UCU claims that this is incorrect, suggesting that it could be around £8.3bn in surplus.

As the list of those affected by the disagreements grows by the day with no deal on the horizon, the challenges being raised at institutions all over the UK delve far deeper than just fickle figures.

Instead, the operation and very culture of higher education itself is being confronted on all sides.

Quirk told MM: “We’ve crept into a situation where it’s run very much as a business and we’re sort of there to fill in forms and deliver services to customers, which is not what higher education has ever been about and I don’t think really should be about.”

The strikes cannot be discussed without considering the student response. Again, social media highlighted a number of cases where students have

come out in force to support their lecturers.

UoM’s Students’ Union released a statement in support of the strike which featured their concerns: “The student experience will be negatively affected by the new pension proposals in two ways: by how the new proposals will negatively impact [postgraduate] students – both those who are on the current pension scheme and those who aspire to go into academia in the future – and by dissuading new, excellent teachers from coming to Manchester.”

Still, crucial questions remain among many, regardless of their opinion on the strike.

This pressure has manifested itself most notably in the 80,000 students who signed nationwide petitions pledging support for their lecturers, but requesting compensation for the hours missed.

A precedent has now been set by another top institution, King’s College London, where money saved from lecturers’ salaries will be channeled into a compensation fund.

Whilst giving students a glimmer of recompense it remains to be seen whether the decision will be mirrored by other universities. UoM has stated that it will not be reimbursing students.

Over 60,000 students estimated to have felt disruptions between the two striking universities in Manchester alone.

With peak dissertation season already upon them, exams approaching, and still no sign of support returning, the tension is rising for those who feel they have been abandoned at a critical time in their degrees.

Lecturers have expressed disappointment that

students have been caught in the crossfire, yet this argument has not swayed some to make up for lost time.

Rather, the discussion over tuition refunds provides them with further evidence that the focus of universities has shifted from their primary role, becoming more commercialised since the introduction of fees.

Quirk highlighted that unless paid for the 14 days, she would not consider teaching the content, despite acknowledging that it would be stressful particularly for those in their final year.

“I thought at first [refunding students] was a really good idea because it would focus the University’s attention because obviously they don’t want to upset the students and it would be a financial loss to them.”

She now questions if compensation is just “reinforcing this idea that education was a commercial transaction” and that “it wouldn’t be of much benefit to students as very few of them would ever repay their loans anyway.”

However, with the creation of a strike compensation calculator, set up by two third-year students (which now boasts over 16,000 visits) it is clear that many students are not agreeing so readily with their teachers.

The sparring parties seem to have only become more entrenched, even hostile, in their positions as more statements and proposals are exchanged.

And with the resumption of further walkouts still very much on the cards, there is no sign that the war is waning.

We wanna be a-broad: Manchester’s future after Brexit

By Helena Vesty A NEW think-tank report has warned Greater Manchester that its economy is ‘stumbling’ ahead of Brexit.

As headlines appear marking one year from the country’s official transition away from the European Union, Localis has found that “despite substantial attention from central government in reorienting its economy to the modern world”, the local population is yet to feel any benefit from this.

GM Mayor Andy Burnham has expressed

his concerns and stated that “further devolution is the key to making a post-Brexit future a success.” He has called on the Government to grant more freedom to the city-region to help prioritise local issues.

Burnham commented: “Devolving more power to English regions to let them get on with looking after their people will not only help residents, but also help to ensure a smoother Brexit process.

“A key part of this is to make sure we have people with the right skills to get jobs once we have left the EU.

“Further devolution to allow a less fragmented post-16 skills system with clear and attractive choices for young people, including apprenticeships and T-Levels, would go a long way to connecting residents and businesses with the growth of Greater Manchester.”

Manchester councillor and Liberal Democrat, John Leech, went a step further and spoke of his firm belief in remaining part of the EU: “Brexit is already having a negative impact on the people of Manchester and it is time Labour and Conservatives paid attention to these warnings instead of working together to

drag us out of the EU no matter the devastating cost to Manchester.”

In comparison to the rest of the country, Localis’ findings state that workers in Greater Manchester are some of the worst rewarded.

The city’s job profile is also said to be more skilled than its workforce The Mayor however, has disputed this sentiment in recent weeks: “We are already showing how we are moving faster and further than anyone else as we look to make our city-region the best place to grow up, get on and grow old.”

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

March 2018

3

As K er sl a k e r ep or t i s p u b l is h e d MM d e m en d s a n s we r s on : Communication

Mental Health

Press Behaviour

AMONG the litany of recommendations in the Kerslake Report, one which has attracted less attention is that of the implementation of one location tracking system for all police forces to use.

The report highlights that during the attack, the Force Duty Officer simply could not track the aid provided by neighbouring teams, including Armed Response Vehicles.

It was noted by the authors, that they did not believe that the lack of such a service had any negative consequences on the effectiveness of the emergency response. This statement supported was by GMP. Despite these assurances, the report accepts that it could have “easily introduced avoidable risks to public and responder safety” as the nature of the attack was not initially clarified.

Rather, “the attack appeared to bear the hallmarks of an escalating and distributed terrorist attack, there was a pressing need to be able to deploy armed assets from outside the GMP” with accuracy.

What is perhaps even more striking is that similar tracking issues had already been raised. In the aftermath of the Derek Bird shootings in Cumbria in 2010, where the police force faced challenges to locate firearms assets, the feature was highlighted as a necessary addition.During the discussions, the panel suggested that in those 7 years better methods of joint operation were sidelined. This was largely due to funding difficulties and the complexity of rolling out a new system.

However, Lord Kerslake acknowledged that the Manchester recommendations may still not be realised.

Kerslake told MM that “as a panel we have no powers,” and it is now for the Home Office to decide whether they will take up the suggestion. Still, he remains hopeful: “I think if we’ve made the arguments in the way that we have, and have demonstrated how important they are, I would sincerely hope that they government now will see the need to move ahead with massive speed to get them implemented.”

Helena Vesty

“I DIDN’T know what to do in terms of my mental health,” cites one victim of the attack, a duly common theme to Lord Kerslake’s report.

Mental health was not originally in the report’s remit, but because the issue was raised by numerous victims and families, with negative effect, Lord Kerslake told MM that he felt it necessary to investigate the scope of issues according to the lack of mental health support.

An agreeably wise decision, as they found that services for children and young people had multi-month waiting lists and were especially difficult to access. A number of families that the Panel met are still experiencing trauma from the consequences the attack as a result.

Referring to one family in particular, Lord Kerslake told MM: “We spoke to a family that were so desperate, they had to pay for the treatment themselves and we didn’t think that was right. “We felt they should have it available for as long as they feel that they need it.”

The problem is not Manchester-centric though, it is scattered as wide as the victims. Lord Kerslake said: “My concern particularly is for those families who are dispersed all over the North of England who had to rely on local services who probably didn’t fully appreciate the circumstances of this terrible event.”

Citing the media’s aggressive tactics towards the victims of terrorism, he added: “it added to the trauma they experienced on the night and in subsequent days.”

When MM asked Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, notably Health Secretary 2009/10, how he felt that many families had been left with issues ranging from anxiety and depression to PSTD, he branded it “unacceptable”. He added: “If it were not for the generosity of the Greater Manchester public, I wonder whether there would have been any support for people who’s lives were turned upside down.”

The report recommends a national review of mental health services after terrorist attacks to ensure that the correct support can be guaranteed to families, at the right time for them. The Mayor, however, did not elaborate on what is being done to ensure those waiting for counselling and other services in Greater Manchester finally gain the support they crucially need.

ARGUABLY the most egregious of all the revelations published in the Kerslake Report was the way the press acted in the aftermath of the Arena bombing.

One family were visited by a journalist offering condolences on the death of their loved one several hours before they were officially informed of their loss by authorities.

When some families were visiting victims in hospitals, they would have to fight through throngs of journalists who would cajole them for information, in some cases being forced to use staff entrances.

One seriously injured mother was called whilst recovering in hospital.

Staff on her hospital ward were also offered £2,000 for information, with the offer being made in a note sequestered in a biscuit tin given ostensibly as a gift to the staff by a journalist.

There were at least two instances where journalists pretended to be either a police officer or a Bereavement Nurse in attempts to procure information.

Speaking to MM, Andy Burnham said: “The media are quick to point at public services and haul them over the coals, but are never quite so forthcoming when it comes to some of their own behaviour.

“To hear of people door-stopping families, taking pictures through the glass when they were getting bad news, impersonating public services staff… It’s not good.”

Lord Kerslake told MM that the press’ actions were not in his reviews original remit: “We brought it in precisely because families raised it with us and they were deeply critical of the way they were treated by the press.

“Not all the press, of course; we know that local papers acted with respect, and in a constructive and positive way.

“But other media, I’m afraid, acted in a way that was overbearing, intrusive, disrespectful really of their situation.

“They know who they are.”

Laura FitzPatrick

Dan Hall

Report criticises ‘utterly unacceptable’ behaviour of media PARTS of the media were deemed to have acted in a “completely and utterly unacceptable” way when reporting on the attack, after victims’ families told the Panel they were harassed.

The report blasted the media’s “intrusive and overbearing behaviour at a time of such enormous vulnerability.” Some even said they were subject to “sneaky” attempts from photographers to capture the moment when they were receiving bad news.

The only media organisations praised by the report were the Manchester Evening News and the BBC. The report is calling for a review of the press standards charter IPSO in light of the universal condemnation of the families’ treatment.

With regards to current press behaviour, the report says: “The Panel feels very strongly that this cannot be as good as it gets.”

Even more sections of the report suggest that lessons had not been learned from previous tragedies.

The Greater Manchester Police uses an Automatic Resource Location System to monitor the movements of their armed responders and armed vehicles. However, “neighbouring police forces do not use the same IT systems, so their personnel and assets could not be tracked on the GMP system.”

This issue had already been identified as a problem following the Derek Bird shootings in Cumbria in 2010.

The Panel stated that this lack of unified tracking ability across the board could have caused further danger, as the Force Duty Officer did not know which was the closest asset to deploy in the case of additional active shooters.

The review panel were keen to highlight the various successes of the response. Aside from the “exceptional” civic response from the people of Manchester and their community leaders, the report praised the investment in emergency planning and the “enormous bravery and

(continued from page one)

compassion” of individuals and organisations who acted on the night of the attack.

The removal of the deceased from the Arena was treated with “care and sensitivity." Support and comfort was provided by family liaison officers and bereavement nurses, described as “invaluable”.

Many of the victims’ families lauded the compassion and care they were given at the Etihad (where a Friends and Family Reception Centre was set up by Manchester City Council) while they waited for news.

However, it was noted that “the strength of the response for support and care for the families directly affected was not always carried through beyond the early period.

"In particular, the need for continuing access to appropriate mental health services was highlighted by the families."

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

March 2018

4

Council’s affordable housing claims just don’t add up MM (tries to) explain Manchester’s affordable housing scandal and the council’s confused response to Guardian reports W h a t i s a f f o r a d ab l e ho u s i n g?

THE government classes a home as ‘affordable’ if it is available at 80% of the market rate, including service charges. Shared ownership schemes, equity loans and social rented housing distributed by need can also be described as ‘affordable’ under this definition.

0%

*

The Guardian, March 5th

H o w d oe s t h e c ou n c i l d e f in e ‘ a f f or d a b l e’ ?

MANCHESTER City Council classes a home as ‘affordable’ if rent or mortgage payments amount to no more than 30% of the average gross household income. This is £675 per month for renting and up to £121,500 to buy a home based on the city’s average household income of £27,000.

10.7%

*

Manchester City Council, March 7th

By Joseph Timan

MANCHESTER City Council is proud of its housing policy, claiming that it’s the first local authority to develop a definition of affordable housing rooted in local circumstances - one that the Greater London Authority may also adopt.“We’re working on the basis that in Manchester, a house is affordable to the people living in it if they’re spending less than 30% of their household income on it,” Deputy Council Leader Bernard Priest told MM. But a Guardian exposé earlier this month, dubbing Manchester the ‘0% city’, claimed that none of the 14,667 homes approved by the council’s planning committee in the last two years are set to be affordable.

Although the council’s policy aims for a fifth of new housing to be affordable, this requirement can be waived in return for a financial contribution. In a number of cases though, developers are given exemptions if such a contribution would make the proposed development unviable or unsustainable.

“The council has the right to give an exemption,” Priest said. “[But] in the last 2 years it’s been increasingly the case that levies have been paid.”

Priest says that a few years ago, the council had to encourage developers to build in Manchester, but now developers are very keen to invest in the city where, according to the HomeOwners Alliance, property sells three times faster than in London.

“We’ve reflected that in giving less exemptions. As developers become more enthusiastic about building, they’re more able to carry that overhead.”

But Manchester’s single opposition councillor, John Leech, says that he’s seen “stark little evidence” that this is actually happening.

“As far as I can see, in recent years, there hasn’t really been a problem with persuading developers to build stuff in my ward in Didsbury, or in the city centre,” he said. “And those are the two areas where perhaps the council has failed to insist on its own policy.”

In response to the Guardian’s investigation into affordable housing, the council refuted claims made by Helen Pidd, the Guardian’s North of England Editor who lead the investigation, calling her conclusion “categorically incorrect”.

In a statement issued on March 7th, the council challenged the Guardian’s ‘0%’ figure claiming that the data analysed didn’t include 70 applications that were given planning permission without going through committees.

Of these additional 70 applications approved by delegated powers in the last two years, the council claimed 900 homes could be classed as affordable.

The council also claimed that of the 14,667 homes covered by the Guardian’s investigation, 600 were “demonstrably affordable” under the government's definition.

The Guardian accepted that its figures came solely from applications approved by the planning committee in those years, and removed reference to Manchester being the ‘0% city’ from the headline.The article was amended on March 22nd, but said that these additional developments will contain only 850 affordable homes.

A council source has since confirmed that there

were not 1,500 affordable homes approved during that two-year period, blaming the inaccuracy on short notice.

The council also argues that student accommodation, which makes up 10% of the 14,667 homes approved by the planning committee, should be taken out of the equation because building houses for students is “a business in its own right”.

“We’re a city with a very large number of students,” Priest said. “They don’t contribute to the stock of homes for Manchester residents, and so we think that they should be excluded from it.”

Priest claims that the measure of affordability is different for student accommodation and that whilst the majority are expensive, it is a government issue that is “beyond one city council to deal with”.

Whether or not student accommodation should be taken out of the equation, the 850 affordable homes that were not covered by the Guardian means that Manchester is not a 0% city.

However, the council falsely claimed that, if these missed applications are taken into account, 10.7% of the homes given planning approval in that two-year period can be classified as affordable.

In the March 7th press release, the council argued that this new figure compares favourably to other major UK cities such as Sheffield, Leeds, Nottingham and Bristol, who all fall below the 10% mark.

Even if the council’s original claims were true - that the Guardian missed 600 affordable homes and an additional 900 homes were approved by delegated powers - and student acContinued on page 5 commodation was taken

Wha t is t he c ou ncil’s a f f o r d a b l e h ou s in g p o l ic y ?

FOR new housing developments of more than 15 homes, at least 20% must be affordable. Failing that, the developer may be asked to pay a financial contribution towards local improvements or directly into an ‘affordable housing fund’.

6.2%

*

Manchester City Council, March 29th

Wh a t i s a s o c ia l r e n t ed p r op er t y ?

SOCIAL rented property, or social housing, is low rent and secure accommodation usually owned by local authorities or a registered provider, such as a housing association. It is distributed based on need to those who are most struggling with their housing costs. Social rented homes are classed as affordable. * Percentage of new homes approved by Manchester City Council in 2016 and 2017 set to be affordable, as reported.

March 2018 www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

out of the equation, the 10.7% figure doesn’t add up.

The council’s claim was that in the period investigated by the Guardian, 1,500 affordable homes were approved. If this raises the percentage of affordable homes approved in that period to 10.7%, that would mean the total number of homes approved was 14,018.

Not only does this suggest that the additional 70 applications that the Guardian missed consisted entirely of affordable homes, it is mathematically impossible for the new percentage to be so high.

Taking away student accommodation from the Guardian’s analysis would leave 13,209 approved homes, which means that the 70 missed applications could not have possibly contained even the additional 850 that the council later amended its figure to.

Sticking by the 850 figure, the council now says that 6.2% of all homes approved by the council in 2016 and 2017 were affordable, split between 136 social rent, 234 affordable rent, 223 shared ownership provision and 247 rent to buy.

It has also said that 13,752 units were given full planning permission in that period, including those approved by the committee and those approved by delegated powers.

The council’s most up to date figures differ from previous claims because the figures listed in the original planning applications which the Guardian used changed between the application, approval and building stages.

However, a council source told MM that many of these additional applications were for small developments that may have fewer than 16 homes. Given that the target of 20% applies only to developments of more than 15 homes, it remains unclear how many of these additional 850 are actually relevant to the revised figure of 6.2% MM has asked the council for clarification on a number of issues to try to ensure that the correct figures are used, but as we went to print, no response was available.

As well as disputing the figures used in the investigation, Priest also questioned the methodology, telling MM that Pidd’s article was based on “a misunderstanding in the nature of planning”.

“When you apply for planning permission to build a home, there is no issue about whether it’s going to be affordable or not,” he said. “It’s not a planning issue.”

Leech told MM that he “fundamentally disagrees” with Priest, describing the council’s response to the article as “naughty”.

“What the Guardian article actually said was that all these applications have been approved and not one of them has provided any affordable housing as a condition of planning permission,” Leech explained. “That’s just a fact.”

5

The Liberal Democrat councillor said that even though planning applications for new developments do not set prices, permission can be granted on the condition that a certain amount of affordable housing will be provided.

“If ultimately, they can’t sell one of the homes, so it ends up being cheaper and falls below the level that is classed as affordable, that’s just a coincidence. It’s not forced by planning conditions.”

Priest claims that the council told the Guardian that the figures were misleading before it was published in March. But Pidd says that she presented her research and explained her methodology to the council’s planning committee and press office at the start of January.

Pidd told MM: "They did not challenge the figures but instead issued a written statement from Bernard Priest defending the council's record in a general sense. It was therefore hugely frustrating for the council to wait until after publication in March to claim the Guardian had got it wrong.”

The Guardian’s North of England editor said that following publication, the council provided information of the 850 affordable homes across 19 developments that were not covered by the investigation.

“Why they didn't do this back in January when I first contacted them is anyone's guess,” she said.

Speaking to MM this week, Priest stood by the council’s response, saying that the article was “misleading” and “not based in fact”. But he did recognise that there is a national problem with affordable housing that applies in Manchester. “[The problem] is compounded in Manchester by the fact that the population going up much more rapidly than is the case in other cities outside of London,” he said. “It’s a matter of supply, we’re simply not able to build houses fast enough to cope with the rising population.”

However, he believes that the problem of affordability is not just a matter of housing supplies, but also about how much people can actually afford.

“The Conservative government are promoting poverty in our city and we have a lot of people who find that not just housing is difficult to afford, but they find everything is,” he said. “So we have a problem of poverty as well and those two things come together, don’t they?”

Last week, the government pledged £68m to deliver 227,200 homes by 2035 in Greater Manchester. £10.25m of that will be used to regenerate Collyhurst council estate.

Priest told MM that the majority of homes built on the council estate just north of the city centre will be social homes. The council already has 68,000 social rented properties in the city which are, by definition, affordable and make up a third of the housing stock.

However, some have argued that it’s increas-

ingly hard to find affordable homes in the city centre where the average cost of a one-bedroom flat is £192,818, according to Dr Jonathan Silver of Sheffield University.

Responding to this, Priest said: “I do not think we have a problem in this city that comes from the lack of availability of affordable homes in the centre of the city, but some people like to define that city centre in a very, very tight area.”

Leech accepts that affordable homes can be found when you go further away from the city centre, but says that they are only being built in already affordable areas.

“That’s my real problem with the council’s policy, that they’re effectively ghettoising and socially cleansing certain areas,” he said.

The former Withington MP says that it may be more economical to spend money on affordable housing in cheaper parts of the city, but that it results in “unbalanced communities”.

Speaking to MM earlier this month, Liberal Democrats’ leader Sir Vince Cable supported Councillor Leech’s opposition to the city council’s approach to housing.

“I fully support the line [Leech] is taking on housing,” Sir Vince said. “It’s well understood in housing policy that the best kind of housing development is where you have a mixture of high-end property with social housing and affordable housing integrated with it, because then you get proper communities. But what they’re doing here is the opposite.”

Leech has been calling for the council to publish viability assessments that developers submit alongside applications which currently only planning officers can see, keeping it hidden from most councillors.

“There’s significant evidence that where developers are expected to publish financial viability assessments, lo and behold, they provide affordable homes in them,” he said.

“It cannot simply just be coincidence that where viability assessments are kept secret, suddenly all these assessments show that affordable homes are unvi-

able. There’s clearly a correlation between the two.”

Last week, Didsbury East councillor James Wilson proposed a motion to improve transparency by making viability assessments public, following the example set by Greenwich, Bristol and Lambeth Labour councils.

The motion, which passed unanimously, reads: “This council notes that developers have often used viability assessments to avoid their obligations to provide affordable housing and where this happens, it can damage public confidence in the planning process.”

But Leech believes that the motion doesn’t go far enough, claiming that there’s a ‘get-out clause’ for developers related to commercially sensitive information.

Priest confirmed this, saying that the council hadn’t yet decided how much information from published assessments would be redacted, and whether it would therefore be worth publishing them at all.

“My feeling is that it’s going to be pretty much impossible to convince the public about transparency by publishing a redacted assessment,” he said.

“In order to make them available to the public [...] the numbers have to be blanked out. I can’t see the point in that to be honest. They’re commercially sensitive documents.”

Leech accuses the council of simply giving an excuse for developers to get away with not providing affordable homes.

“I’m afraid to say that the council is very much in bed with big developers and they’re desperate not to upset them,” he said.

Leech believes that commercially sensitive information needn’t be published if the developer commits to providing 20% affordable homes, but for the sake of scrutiny, they must publish their justification if they won’t meet that condition.

“If they abide by the rules and say, ‘Yes, we will provide 20% affordable homes’, they don’t have to publish this assessment. It’s quite straightforward. So the ball is very much in their court.”

Petition asks uni to house the homeless

By Laura FitzPatrick “I HAD a random idea one night and now it’s turned into a movement backed by 40,000 people.”

Meet the first-year student asking his university to open up empty accommodation properties up to the homeless and, in turn, pushing for Manchester to pioneer a new movement.

Spencer Kay has a passion for looking after people, perhaps his studies as a nurse naturally imply this, but it goes further than that.

Before Christmas last year, Spencer started a petition asking the University of Manchester to “open the vacant spare rooms for the homeless or vulnerably housed” by “giving them a temporary lease for a month”. His petition has since been backed by 41,000 people.

He explained humbly that he just wants to help people and said he was frustrated with the number of “obviously” empty properties in the university’s possession and contrastingly, the sheer number of people on the streets in Manchester.

Spencer’s work on past projects paints him as the likely character to spearhead this current one. He ran a community centre in his hometown, Brighton, repurposing an abandoned nightclub into a home for 30 homeless people. Naturally, the extent of people sleeping rough in Manchester inspired him to recreate something similar here.

He openly admits that although tens of thousands of people have backed his idea, he started it on a whim in his bedroom one night, seeing it as an obvious solution to the problem in Manchester: “I was procrastinating one night before Christmas, made a quick petition online and then it quickly gained traction.”

But the lack of planning has led to an unsurprising response from the university, which remains a resounding “no”. Their decision was reached through a number of technical problems that a potential scheme would face, including the vetting of people, safeguarding them and protecting the buildings.

But this response is insufficient for Spencer who is continuing his campaign months on from its birth. The next steps are to link up with the wider community aiming to help the homeless and scope out the deedholders of empty buildings that the university has since sold on.

He also cites the prospect of working with schemes like Live In Guardian who takeover empty properties and turn them into habitable environments, avoiding squatters.

On the current affordable housing crisis of the city, Spencer detailed his thoughts that countless people are being forced out of their roots in places like Ancoats and Oldham for the “gentrified buildings being built for swanky people”.

However, this isn’t necessarily a cause of homelessness, he explains.

Rather, the state of austerity is to blame: “With the demise of social care and lack of funding for housing trusts, I don’t see the homeless problem going away.

“We need to be giving long-term promises to people – it’s not good enough to just give homeless people short term handouts from charities.”

Instead, Spencer sees a future in Manchester as a pioneer for housing the homeless in empty properties, following his petition.

Manchester itself is home to 11,000 empty properties, and Spencer explains that when they’re already purposed for living in, it seems ridiculous to see that go to waste.

He theoretically outlines a topdown approach from government to temporarily house the homeless in empty properties, owned by public companies, before they are in use again.

That said, in all, he feels the silver bullet to ending homelessness is a bottom up approach: “Andy Burnham might be announcing a load of polices – which are in themselves very valuable – but ultimately it needs to come from everyone.

“We’re obsessed with personal success and personal gratitude and the attitude towards the homeless is rooted in that.

“Homelessness really is the fault of society, not the individual.”

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

March 2018

6

‘I’d use a sock’: Homeless women still face period poverty despite pledge

By Laura FitzPatrick THOUSANDS of British women are about to benefit from £15m raised by the Tampon Tax however in Manchester, period poverty is an ongoing battle for women on the streets.

The Minister for Sport and Civil Society, Tracey Crouch, announced this week that the ‘Let’s Talk. Period.’ Project aimed at addressing period poverty will receive £15m in funding. However, for homeless women, it’s more about dignity, cleanliness and avoiding disease than stomach cramps and free tampons.

Sadly, Manchester’s homeless women are still feeling shame and tell tales on extreme dissatisfaction when it comes to their periods, regardless of the countless charities trying to help.

Last year, Manchester City Council revealed to MM that homelessness had shot up 300% in the past five years - sleeping bags strewn over the pavement or slumped in doorways is far from an unusual sight in the city centre.

Among eating, staying warm and keeping safe at night, homeless women have another problem on their hands – what to do when they get their period every month. “I’d probably just use a sock … or some tissue”, explained Fiona who has been on the streets for four weeks after escaping an abusive relationship.

Fiona told MM that, like a number of other homeless women on the

streets, her contraception halts her periods – something she is thankful for every day on the streets.

In fact, it seems that many homeless women in Manchester are turning to the contraceptive implant – a 4cm long matchstick-esque device that sits in the arm for three years – in order to keep their dignity. It might seem extreme, but most women can recall stories of red-cheeked-embarrassment from periods past, and when that happens relentlessly every month, it’s more than an issue of blushing.

But some women have periods that won’t be calmed by some extra hormones transmitted through their arm – so what’s the answer?

Well, according to period activists, periods should be free - whether that’s free of the scandalous tampon tax or free for those in need (such as asylum seekers, girls on free school meals or the homeless).

There’s been a lot of noise of late surrounding breaking down barriers, especially since Jess Phillips MP spoke openly about periods in the House of Commons last year and since 18 year-old Amika George’s #FreePeriods petition and protest went viral, which made glittery tampon signs, red dresses and shouting about our periods all the rage.

But taboos are yet to be broken like this in the North even though we do have an abundance of charities and organisations whose chief aim is to combat period poverty amongst homeless women.

The aptly named group, The Crimson Wave is one of them. Set up by school friends Hannah Barnes and Trish Cartner, they hold regular period parties in the name of ensuring that women on the streets have safe and dignified periods. They’ve crowdfunded their way to countless boxes of products, which they make into little packages containing pads, tampons and chocolates.

Hannah said: “There are women out there who are choosing between food and sanitary wear and that’s not on.

“We’re hearing a lot about socks, tissue paper and people reusing items over and over again which can be extremely dangerous. It’s uncomfortable, it’s undignified and it’s not a way anyone should have to live.

“We take dealing with our periods easily and efficiently for granted but it should be a right for everyone to not have to worry about bleeding all over the place.”

The Monthly Gift is one of the better-known organisations – they collect donations of pads, tampons and other sanitary products from a number of donation stations and events, who then send the goods to The Mustard Tree for distribution.

Like The Booth Centre, The Mustard Tree is a key player in caring for the homeless in Manchester through unprecedented support in the form of donations and a true understanding of those on the streets. It’s their work, along with handouts from organisations such as Coffee4Craig that help Manchester’s women retain their dignity on the streets.

Confirming this, Louise, a 40-year-old homeless woman told MM: “Getting products is easy… a lot of the public do buy us stuff and give us sanitary products.”

She explained that for her, it’s the reality of keeping clean when the time hits that’s the worst part: “It’s difficult because, being on the streets, you’ve not got your own toilet to go to. You’ve got to get into places like hotels or McDonald’s and a lot of places won’t let you in if you’re homeless. It’s a struggle.

“Having somewhere to get changed and clean yourself up is not always easy but you have to grin and bear it.

“We are still people at the end of the day - just because we’re living in a difficult situation it makes us no more human than anybody else.”

GMP and MMU unite against spice

By Charlie Smith SPICE is the now-illegal drug that is plaguing British towns and cities.

Manchester especially has seen the horrible effects that the drug can inflict upon its users.

The city centre, and particularly Piccadilly Gardens, has become an area notorious for spice use, with reports of “zombie users” stumbling around and frozen like statues, making national headlines.

It’s even featured as a story on Coronation Street, as Summer found some spice, and in a period of grieving, decided to smoke it and consequently fell ill.

Despite all this Dr Oliver Sutcliffe of Manchester Metropolitan University said that spice “is not a Manchester-centric issue”, however he stresses that in dealing with the problem, “it is a Manchester-led response.”

He is part of the leading Manchester-based team, operation MANDRAKE (Manchester Drug Analysis and Knowledge Exchange).

The team is made of scientists, police and security personal, and aims to share information about spice and its effects on users, rather than demonising people.

Its use is particularly prevalent

among homeless people, with some estimates from charity workers who are on the front line putting the quantity of homeless people taking spice in Manchester at 95%.

Spice is also firmly established in UK prisons, with 75,000 inmates using the drug every day. It isn’t difficult to get into prisons and even things like letters and photos from families can be used to conceal the drug.

This year Dr Sutcliffe said there have been eight different strains in the city so far with potencies ranging from 2% up to an incredibly dangerous 18%.

Legalising cannabis is not going to stop spice...

Dr Sutcliffe calls the higher potency stuff “third generation spice”, which is stronger, and unlike in the legal high days before the ban, now comes in the little snap bags like other illegal drugs. The bright packets spice came in previously did, he said, have at least some information on them, and there-

fore gave users an idea of what they were taking.

Much of the spice Manchester sees is put together in neighbouring towns and districts, but actually originates from China, making its way through Eastern Europe.

Although sometimes called synthetic cannabis, spice activates the same receptors in the brain as cannabis, though it is usually far more potent, and therefore easier to take too much.

He said: “it leaves individuals on the street playing Russian Roulette with themselves.”

The scientists’ work with police is crucial as they can combine data for the different spice strains with CCTV footage to find out who is selling which strains.

Another crucial aspect of MANDRAKE’s work has been the distribution of leaflets and informational campaigns on Manchester’s many LED screens. The information tells people how to assist someone on spice, which helps users, but also, importantly helps take the burden off emergency services.

Despite being declared unfit for human consumption, spice was still sold on the internet as plant fertiliser. Different chemical compositions of the drug were formed, like with other drugs, in order to evade spice being banned. All forms of spice were banned in 2016 though, under the Psychoactive Substances Act. Sutcliffe also said, “legalising cannabis is not going to stop spice”, as the criminals can

make much larger profits from spice.

As well as effects associated with cannabis, like tiredness and paranoia, there are far more severe effects with spice. These include rapidly increased heart rate, being completely detached from reality, and physical effects on the body, which can cause users to pass out, fall down and appear

frozen.

The drug is said to “freeze time” and completely block out the horrible circumstances that many users find themselves in. It is clear that people die from taking spice, whether from heart failure or from falling down and hitting their head.

A homeless man, William Nicholson, carried a homemade sign, which read: “We are

not spice heads just unlucky in life”, upon his return to Manchester.

Back in July, Andy Burnham said that without more money, the response to the spice problem in Manchester can’t get much better, as he thinks the city is already doing all it can.

Dr Rob Ralph said that it is now easier for homeless people to get spice, as dealers will sometimes wake them up in the morning, drop of a bit of spice and then come and collect the money for it from them later, when they have made enough by begging.

Julie Boyle from the charity Lifeshare said that even dying is not a deterrent, as she describes how a young lad was medically dead, was resuscitated, and went back into town to buy more spice. This indicates the severity of the problem.

On Radio 2 Boyle goes further, describing how she doesn’t see the same camaraderie as before between homeless people, with more of an ‘every man for himself’ attitude present. She also tells of how homeless people can be forced into begging and even sex work by dealers who know they are dependent on spice.

There has been support given by local charity groups, especially in Piccadilly gardens.

Spice remains a problem affecting Manchester and many other cities. Despite the awful scenes on the streets, Manchester has again in its history become a pioneer, and is leading the response to this terrible drug.

March 2018

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

NEWS

7

Data breach no surprise, say experts

By Laura FitzPatrick MANCHESTER’S Social Chain says Facebook breach is nothing new and further regulation would not stand a chance.

The future of Facebook may not be as dark as we are coerced to believe, according to Manchester social media agency and strategists Social Chain.

Facebook has been under fire for the past two weeks following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, this week they announced that users can permanently delete any personal information, search history and details of interactions available to the social network.

Responding to the outcry against Facebook, experts of the site and the data it carries have taken a suitably fresh approach, saying that we should not doubt the social giant’s future.

Facebook, as a company, is a ubiquitous part of our lives, and Social Chain cite the platform’s future as depending on this fact.

Oliver Yonchev, Social Media’s Business Director told MM: “This #DeleteFacebook movement won’t get real traction.

“The shock is to do with people’s awareness – I think that’s a generational thing. A lot of us accept that we give up privacy and data permissions to be able to use these platforms.

“People still like a place to keep their

photos, connect with all their friends, they like to set up events, will always use Messenger and Whatsapp, because if used correctly, these products do enhance people’s lives.”

However, the question is called where products are misused with malice.

Yonchev explained: “Whether Facebook did anything wrong comes down to an ethics question.

“All the data [Cambridge Analytica] had is available to everyone, but the question around how it was handled and their agenda.

“I know I can target anyone I want to based on their interests and what they care about - every marketing company around the world is using data and to see how they can serve messages to their clients.”

Yonchev explained therefore that using Facebook for marketing just enhances people’s existing beliefs. He said: “Using [Facebook] as a scapegoat for data is wrong – all that good advertising will do is reinforce your own beliefs.

“Cambridge Analytica created an echo chamber which means, with something like Brexit, a lot of people’s biases were amplified.”

Subsequently, he was clear to mention that because Social Chain’s values are so ingrained in “giving a shit”, they refrain from taking sides in politics as a business and feel that it’s an unfair use of their influence and insights from data.

On introducing regulation, he said: “I don’t think it’s Facebook’s responsibility – if you regulate it, it’s like regulating the internet or the press: it’s dangerous water.

“It’s easy to point the finger but at the end of the day, Facebook isn’t solely an advertising platform so it would be harder to regulate: people will always share their political views. It’s like democracy at scale.”

Instead, Yonchev believes that any regulation of social media should come from the top and vary territory by territory. That way, he says, Facebook would have no choice but to adhere to those standards.

But spelling out what could be the final nail in Facebook’s distant coffin, Yonchev speculated that the end would be something far from the this data scandal.

He said: “Facebook’s success and dominance in the social space is down to what they have done strategically. As soon as Instagram showed potential, they bought it, then they bought Whatsapp. “ He likened the social giant to other huge corporations: “Financial organisations across the world have committed fraud for many, many years across the world and they still exist. Facebook isn’t too big to fail but, they will probably stand the test of time.

“But if anything, Facebook will lose out on innovation.”

MCR pledges to end plastic pollution

By Emilia Bruce-Watt GREATER Manchester wants to become the first UK city to ditch singleuse plastics by 2020.

The Plastic-Free Greater Manchester campaign, headed by ex-Manchester United player turned hotelier, Gary Neville, was launched at the Green Summit last week in an attempt to make the city “one of the greenest regions in Europe.”

The campaign is supported by 43 other businesses from the hospitality and tourism sector, some of which have already started to replace plastic straws with sustainable alternatives.

GM Mayor Andy Burnham announced at the summit that he will set up a Green City Business Consortium to bring together local businesses and help them transition away from single-use plastics to more reusable and recyclable options.

“It’s clear that we cannot just carry on as usual – the time has come for action”, he said.

The consortium will ensure that smaller businesses will not suffer from the cost of switching to renewable materials. By buying in bulk, he hopes that businesses will make a swift and affordable transition.

Those aiming to eliminate single-use plastics by 2020 include: GG Hospitality, Hotel Football, Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester Marriott Victoria and Albert Hall, Real Junk Food Project and Manchester Central.

These businesses will set out a plan to make the shift away from single-use plastics over the next six months.

Andy Burnham, Manchester Council and the town hall’s single opposition councillor John Leech, unanimously called for a tough approach to single-use plastics.

The Liberal Democrat councillor also called for all new pub and bar licences to ban plastic straws by the end of the year.

Leech said: “Ending plastic straws is an easy, simple but critical step for our local pubs and bars to pledge their commitment to Manchester’s plastic-free future.”

With an abundance of alternatives available he declared that it would be “callous” not to act immediately when 100,000 marine animals are killed every year by the plastic dumped in our seas and oceans.

The campaign was launched after Greater Manchester received the news that the River Tame in Denton had the highest levels of microplastic pollution of anywhere in the world, with twice the levels of pollution recorded anywhere previously.

Recent reports have shown that recycling plastic is

not enough to save the environment. In 2014, 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste were sent abroad to be recycled but most of it was burnt due to contamination.

If our current levels of pollution continue, the amount of plastic in the oceans will outweigh the fish by 2050.

Environment Agency chair Emma Howard Boyd, who spoke alongside the Mayor last week, believes that Manchester can lead the way in becoming a greener city, saying: “The world’s first industrial city can be an economic trailblazer again.”

Since the summit last week, businesses across all sectors have stepped out in solidarity with the campaign.

Co-founder of Parklife Festival, Sacha Lord-Mar-

chionne, pledged to ban all plastic straws, polystyrene cups and trays and plastic bottles from the festival in June.

The Mayor also outlined his ambitions to bring the city’s carbon neutrality target forward from 2050. He proposed to introduce an emissions-free bus fleet, to build zero carbon homes and invest in cycle lanes and is confident the city will encourage others to do the same.

“Greater Manchester is all about leading the way and doing things that bit differently.

“If we’re successful in our efforts to drive down our use of single-use plastics… there’s no reason why similar models couldn’t be adopted across the UK.”

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

March 2018

NEWS

From flipping burgers to the corridors of power: Lib Dem John Leech has seen it all

By Laura FitzPatrick ONCE named as the second most rebellious MP in the North of England for his opposition during the coalition years, Liberal Democrat Councillor John Leech sits on Manchester City Council as the sole opposition to the majority Labour.

Previously found surrounded by McFlurries and managing colleagues in caps, Leech traded it in for a suit and career in politics, defying all expectations by beating Labour to become MP for Withington in 2005.

He’s currently campaigning for reelection to the council in May, a position he prefers, referring to it as more “hands on”.

He is campaigning as the ProEuropean Choice for Withington, fighting against a hard-Brexit That said, Leech admitted that it’s “hard work” being the only opposition councillor, telling MM: “I get a lot of abuse from Labour in the council chamber, and I find myself constantly on my feet speaking – it’s not helped

by Labour councillors behind me whispering abuse while I am speaking!”

This conflict is demonstrably apparent in the current affordable housing scandal as well. Leech told MM that he’s currently calling for a serious overhaul of the city’s planning and housing, claiming that the Labour councillors are “very much in bed” with

“It is not just about street homelessness - there are thousands of "hidden" homeless too.” developers.

Leech is also quick to explain his issues with how the council are tackling Manchester’s homelessness problem.

He told MM: “It is not just about street homelessness - there are thousands of "hidden" homeless too. The Council is tackling the problem of people on

New deal to tackle city’s traffic jams

Mobike teething problems

By Helen Parkinson THIS month Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham announced some much needed new measures to tackle congestion in the region.

As part of the Congestion Deal, Manchester will receive 27 new trams at a cost of £80m, as well as new cycling and walking lanes at £160m.

Other proposals include a 24-hour transport control centre and incentives for companies which offer flexible working hours.

An ambitious high occupancy vehicle lane, for cars with three or more passangers, has even been mooted to encourage car sharing. There are currently seven of these in the UK, in Leeds, Bristol, Birmingham and Bradford.

The move comes in response to the Mayor’s Congestion Conversation last autumn in which 7,000 local individuals and organisations participated. They blamed too many people travelling at the same time, roadworks and no realistic alternatives to driving for their hellish journeys.

Mr Burnham said: “Congestion is a serious problem in Greater Manchester, which affects people’s health and wellbeing, as well as access to employment and education opportunities.

“Every week, my Twitter feed and inbox are filled with accounts of the difficulties people experience in travelling to work, dropping the kids off at school or getting to appointments on time. There’s no quick fix or single solution to tackling congestion and it requires a long term approach, but there are things we could be doing better.”

Commuter Laura Callaghan, 24, was pleased to hear of the deal, but had some reservations about using alternative modes of transport.

“I would love to cycle to work,” she said.

the streets, but they are doing far too little to tackle the causes of homelessness. Far too often they fail to recognise who is vulnerable, and this often leads to people ended up on the streets, because the council has no statutory duty to provide accommodation because they have not been classed as vulnerable.”

It's no surprise therefore that he’s very vocal about his aim to make “decision-making more transparent” as well as opposing “huge pay rises” for the Town Hall’s senior staff.

But when it comes to his personal achievements, among mentions of making it to Westminster and introducing laws, Leech admits his pride for successfully leading the pardoning of Alan Turing, which was subsequently commended by the late Stephen Hawking.

In light of that, his confession that he doesn’t have time to relax – except for when he’s supporting City - won’t raise many eyebrows. As well as being a season ticket holder for the Manchester club, Leech plays on the House of Parliament football team.

“But I'm not confident enough to do so with so much traffic on the road. If the city had a cycling programme for beginner city cyclists to go along with the new cycle lanes, I think that would really encourage less confident cyclists like myself to get out on a bike.

“Maybe a crash course on a Sunday, would work when the city is less busy but busy enough to teach people about city

cycling dos and don'ts.”

In addition to transforming the city’s traffic issues, it is hoped the measures will positively affect the urban environment.

Friends of the Earth (FoE) Manchester were involved in the Congestion Conversation and welcomed many of the new measures, particularly the increased tram and cycling infrastructure.

But Catherine Thomson, the region’s FoE transport campaigner, said: “You cannot build your way out of congestion.

Building more roads is not a sustainable solution to congestion, air pollution or climate change in Greater Manchester."

The proposals were set to be discussed by leaders from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority yesterday (Thursday March 29th).

THEY’RE an orange beacon of hope for the environmentally-conscious commuter. So when it was announced that popular bike share service Mobike was launching in Stockport, having thrived in Manchester city centre since June, residents were thrilled.

But just 11 days after their March 12th launch, when 200 bikes were placed in the town, the service was abruptly halted.

A spokesperson said: “We are working to better ensure we can protect our bikes and our team.”

However, on March 27th, the Beijing-based firm confirmed to MM that it would be returning to Stockport after what it described as a “temporary suspension”.

Darryl Evans, Mobike General Manager said: “The response to Mobike in Stockport has been positive overall since the scheme launched earlier this month.

“As with many new launches there can be teething problems, but we are working closely with the council, the police, and local stakeholders to address any issues and make the scheme a success.“ It is not just Stockport that has had problems taking to Mobike. The scheme got into difficulty when it first launched in Manchester, with 70 out of 1,000 bikes being destroyed by the end of 2017.

Hopefully the scheme will see more success on its relaunch.

It is hoped Stockport’s residents will be able to enjoy 1,000 Mobikes.

March 2018 www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

FEATURE

9

M us hr o om t o g r ow ?

MM meets the urban farmers behind Manchester’s most sought-after fungi

By Oscar Lynch SUSTAINABILITY and localism are central to the mission of Manchester-based start-up Hive Urban Farms, who provide fresh, high-quality produce to some of the area’s top restaurants.

Co-Founders Gareth Williams and Dien Curtis tell the story of the company’s roots and their plans for growth.

With its quiet residential streets housing students, families and young professionals, Burnage isn’t the first place you’d picture when thinking of freshly grown produce.

Yet it’s from a small facility in this Manchester suburb that Hive Urban Farms grow gourmet oyster mushrooms that are used by some of the local area’s best restaurants Burnage’s best produce currently features in dishes at Hispi in Didsbury, TNQ Restaurant and Bar and Fress in the city’s Northern Quarter, with chefs heralding the quality of the product and benefits of a local supplier.

“We’re about localism, sustainability and independent businesses – our product can go from farm to fork in hours, not days,” Gareth explains.

“The things that we’ve been hearing have been really encouraging – it’s so much fresher, it’s a better quality product – that’s from feedback we’re getting from chefs”.

Though their branding is a nod to Manchester’s industrious past, Hive’s activity is distinctly forwardthinking – a socially conscious enterprise that promotes sustainability and localism.

Their small facility uses simple but innovative hydroponic and aeroponic techniques to mimic the optimal conditions for mushroom growth. Instead of soil, blocks of a specially formulated nutrient or used coffee beans are used as a medium for growth.

The product can be harvested at short notice and delivered to the customer within the hour.

“The food industry in Manchester is really thriving now,” Dien says.

“There are a lot of new businesses starting up in the

city and a lot of them are focusing on sustainability and localism, which is a really nice thing.”

The pioneering pair – both 23 – met while studying Geography at the University of Manchester.

Like many of the best ideas, Hive was concocted in the pub – though refined through weeks and months of diligent research and painstaking trial and error.

Now each balances their work for Hive with a full-

buildings, or a way to ease ex-offenders or the longterm unemployed back into work.

“What urban agriculture offers from a socio-economic perspective is huge – you don’t need any formal qualifications to do it, you don’t need any fixed working hours, and you can train on the job.”

Though Hive is one of a handful of companies operating under the wide umbrella of urban agriculture,

TOP PRODUCE: Hive’s mushrooms are already wowing chefs across the city

time job – Dien in marketing for the University of Manchester, Gareth in a policy role for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Beyond what’s on the plate, the two are keen to promote the multifarious benefits of urban agriculture – in being kinder to the planet, we become more self-sufficient while developing a viable business in a growing sector.

Gareth enthuses about the social benefits on offer: as a form of therapy for those suffering from mental health issues, a way to repurpose disused urban

the UK still has some distance to go to catch up with countries like Japan and the USA. “The thing about it in this country isn’t that we’re not very good at it – it’s that there aren’t many people doing it,” Gareth says.

For some perspective, the organic farming market in the country is worth over £2bn, though that’s less than 2% of the £112bn food and drink production sector. Urban agriculture is a tinier slice still of this enormous pie.

Dien is confident: “It’s a really small sector, but it has

the potential to be massive.

“You’ve got a global food production network where we’re flying food in from across the world with absolutely no concept of the environmental impact. It’s unsustainable.

“The main issue is price at the moment, that’s why we’re targeting restaurants that we feel appreciate localism, chefs who have a strong sense of sustainability themselves.”

A pivotal moment came when the business was chosen to join the AccelerateME programme, an initiative launched by Manchester Entrepreneurs to assist enterprising students and recent alumni from the University of Manchester.

“At that point the business was really an idea – a few in-house experiments in Tupperware boxes,” Dien says.

“We’d never spoken in front of an audience about Hive before.

“We were really going for it, but it was nervy – you’re talking about something that means a lot to you.”

A rigorous selection process saw the fledgling business pitted against over 40 other start-ups from a broad range of sectors, culminating in a pitch to leaders of the scheme and other teams.

Hive was chosen as one of just five start-ups to receive an initial investment as well as guidance and resources to help professionalise the operation.

Since then, the past year has mostly involved perfecting the process and drumming up interest in the product – meeting with potential customers and attending exhibitions, including the Global Food Innovation Summit in Milan last May. Plans for future crops – including herbs, greens and hops – are already in motion, with the two also exploring a second site to serve Chorlton’s thriving food and drink sector.

As people become more considerate about the source and quality of the food on their plate, the buzz around Hive will continue to grow.

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

March 2018

10

T H E T WI L I GH T OF MA N C H E S T E R ’ S N I GH T L IF E ?

M M a s k s : W h y a r e o u r m u s i c ve n u e s c l o s i n g ?

By Joseph Timan and Dan Hall

AN estimated 35% of UK grassroots music venues have closed in the last 10 years according to Music Venue Trust. Here in Manchester, several iconic venues have contributed to that depressing statistic.

The Roadhouse, Sankeys, Sound Control and, most recently, Antwerp Mansion have all closed their doors to adoring punters in the last four years alone.

Throughout that time, the future of another infamous Mancunian venue, the Star & Garter, has been hanging in the balance as the Fairfield Street pub has quite literally been caught up in the middle of the city’s development plans.

The self-proclaimed ‘last truly independent’ music venue in Manchester was issued a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) notification as part of the ‘Northern Hub’ expansion of Piccadilly station.

This means that the property can legally be taken off the Star’s hands without the owner’s consent at six months’ notice at a price dictated by Network Rail and Manchester City Council.

Meanwhile, the Mayfield Depot redevelopment to the south of the pub is likely to dramatically raise the value of the property, which will remain intact and be put back on the market once the two new platforms at Piccadilly station have been built.

Last month, The Music Stops Here, a short documentary on the Ardwick pub, had its UK premiere at Manchester Film Festival.

Filmmakers Adam Farkas and Alec Herron chronicle the Star’s hopeless battle with Network Rail and the council whilst capturing the deep love that Manchester’s punk, metal and indie scenes have for it.

“The good thing about the Star is that it has various groups using it,” producer Alec Herron told MM before the screening.

“It’s one of the first places to hold open LGBT nights in Manchester.

I don’t think that there’s actually any other venue that has more new bands than the Star & Garter.”

In the film, the pub’s landlord, Andy Martin, explains how he bought the property on the promise of redevelopment in the area. Years later, he says, nothing changed and it became the city’s red light district.

“When they bought it in the 1980s, they were promised that this was going to be like what the Northern Quarter became and it never happened,” explained Herron.

“They have been the stalwarts in an area that has essentially been left to rot and they’ve kept it going. And now that more development might come along, he’s the first one to be told to pack up his stuff and get the hell out of here.”

Most importantly for Herron, the Star supports small bands by not having a ‘pay-to-play’ policy which require bands to buy and sell their own tickets so that the venue and promoter are not left out of pocket.

“You don’t have a snobbish attitude where you have to have a guaranteed sale of a certain amount of tickets to get in or a certain reputation [...] that used to be plentiful in Manchester and the Star &

Garter is probably the only place that does it now.”

Whilst the Star & Garter remains in limbo waiting for its inevitable closure,the beloved student nightclub, Antwerp Mansion, was forced to shut down after disputes with local authorities started last year.

The legendary Rusholme venue closed its doors for the last time earlier this month following seven years of unrivalled notoriety in south Manchester’s music scene.

Built in 1840, the abandoned mansion turned independent venue was once home to the Belgian Consul. It is estimated that over a million people came to the venue since beginning its evening events in 2011.

Manchester City Council cited a myriad of issues which factored into its decision to serve a closure notice on Antwerp Mansion, ranging from safety concerns for clubbers to mounting litter on and around the premises.

“The venue at the evening became so successful, they lost control in how to manage it,” Rusholme Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar said. On the council’s decision, Akbar said: “It’s the last thing we want to do because the council is not there to make things difficult for people.”

A petition demanding that the council reverse its decision has garnered over 17,700 signatures and the campaign has gained support from veteran DJ Tim Westwood.

Speaking to MM about the legendary club, Westwood said: “Nothing will ever replace that club. One of the things which really impressed me was... it was just like a really organic venue. There’s never going to be a similar venue to that club.”

The petition, created by University of Manchester student Alex

Sansbury, was rejected by the council because it was not created on the council website. Sansbury argued that closing Antwerp Mansion could exacerbate safety concerns.

“As we saw in London between 2005 and 2015, 50% of the nightclubs were shut down and, as a result, there were lots of underground parties and raves which are difficult to control,” Sansbury said. “The same is going to happen in Manchester.”

UK Music, a campaigning and lobbying group which represents the interests of the industry, recognises licensing decisions made by local authorities as a major challenge for music venues around the country.

However, UK Music CEO and former Labour MP Michael Dugher believes that one of the main drivers of many closures in the last decade has been new urban developments.

In an effort to support grassroots music venues, UK Music campaigned to introduce the ‘Agent of Change’ principle into planning law which would require new developments to take responsibility for the impact they have on the area they seek to build in.

“If they put flats next to a pre-existing music venue, they’ve got to acknowledge that the music venue is already there,” Dugher said.

“Therefore, the developer has got to pay for the soundproofing of those flats and deal with any issues because of it.”

Dugher’s example sounds reminiscent of Night & Day’s threat of closure back in 2014 following noise complaints from a nearby resident who had moved in less than a year before.

The reputable Oldham Street venue, which has hosted bands like the Arctic Monkeys and Elbow over its 27 year history, was served an abatement notice for breaching statutory noise levels but retained its license after an online petition with over 74,000 signatures was backed by Elbow's Guy Garvey, ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and the Musicians Union.

The Agent of Change bill, tabled by Labour MP John Spellar earlier this year, received cross-party support leading to a government promise to include the principle in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

“The government have published their draft proposals recently so there is a public consultation,” Dugher said. “We’re hopeful that at the end of the consultation process, this can actually be introduced. Certainly before parliament summer recess.”

But Dugher recognises that this is just one challenge facing venues today and hopes to work with new city region mayors around the country to help protect them from closing.”

UK Music is already in discussion with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who Dugher describes as “incredibly talented” and a “huge supporter” of music.

“Manchester has a phenomenal history when it comes to music and a really proud heritage,” Dugher said. “We’re really using Manchester’s history, not simply as something to look back on, but as something to be inspired by as we go forward.”

wwww.mancunianmatters.co.uk

March 2018

ENTERTAINMENT

Going, going, gone...?

11

The legendary pubs and clubs of the city which have fallen - or could fall victim to the development boom

The Roadhouse

Twisted Wheel

The Hacienda Star and Garter

Sound Control

Classic tale Miss Saigon is on song for two-month Manchester stay A SHOW better be worth the hype if it’s to run for two consecutive months in Manchester.

Luckily for us Mancunians (and theatre lovers from across the region!), Miss Saigon is.

The production – now brought to life by director Laurence Connor – has officially opened at the Palace Theatre.

For those unfamiliar with the plot, it’s a re-imagining of Madame Butterfly set in and after the Vietnam War. It documents the love story between Kim, a 17-year-old peasant girl in Saigon, and Chris, an American marine deployed in Vietnam.

You only get one chance to make a first impression with a production like this. Thankfully any concerns that this outing may be over-hyped are quickly dispelled with the opening number.

The Heat Is On sets the scene for the entire performance – featuring crisp vocals, comedic timing and raw intensity. It’s certainly an energetic number from a cast that tries hard to please from the word go.

Sooha Kim in the role of Kim is both likeable and empathetic. She first appears overly reserved, perhaps worryingly.

But this is actually all part of the act, with the actress behind the role capable of much more, which we discover as the story develops.

It’s Ashley Gilmour in the role of Chris, the US ‘freedom

fighter’ who falls for Kim. He’s strong in stature with an all-American look – not to mention a voice worthy of a leading man.

Perhaps the true standout of this performance is Red Concepción, playing The Engineer. This is a role that calls for a certain finesse – and we certainly get it here.

Concepción does a lot of the heavy lifting in this production, deserving particular props for his ability to entwine comedy into the plot when interacting with the more seriously characters.

His performance of The American Dream is one of the many highlights from Act Two. Meanwhile, the show-stealing scene is undoubtedly Kim’s Nightmare, the flashback to how she and Chris end up separated. The production value here is second to none, with the helicopter approaching from over the audience before appearing on stage. It’s awe-inspiring.

This scene features the perfect amount of drama that could convert even the most doubtful theatre-goer to the delights of the industry.

This, it would seem, is the real triumph of Miss Saigon.

While its tenure in Manchester is still young, it’s already established itself as a frontrunner for show of the year. Those lucky enough to catch it will no doubt be speaking about it for months – if not years – after viewing. *Miss Saigon is showing at the Palace Theatre, Manchester until Saturday, May 12.

FIRST NIGHT REVIEW

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

March 2018

RE VIEW

ART @ The Lowry Theatre

THE NEW QUEEN OF CANAL ST Manchester has established itself as the North’s premier drag destination, with nightclubs like Birdcage and Kiki leading the way.

A drag show from queen of queens RuPaul is even sashaying into the city, with her Werq the World Tour heading to the Palace Theatre next month.

MM chatted to flame-haired Divina De Campo, one of the city’s most eminent queens, about the art of drag. You may have spotted De Campo gracing The Voice stage or starring as one of ‘The 100’ along with Geri Horner in All Together Now. What inspired you to become a queen?

I’d studied gender politics at university. I’m also pretty realistic in that I have a super gay voice and I’m quite feminine in my features. I was never going to make a convincing Gaston, so drag it was! My now husband encouraged me as well so here we are.

You moved to Manchester in 2013 – what drew you to the city, and what’s the scene like here compared to other parts of the UK? I’ve always loved Manchester; it’s got such a great vibe to it and there’s so much going on all the time. The drag scene is quite extraordinary in that in the physical space of less than a square mile there is a space for all types of drag: comedy, mime, live, arty, club kid, genderfuck, tranimal, door whores, DJs, hostesses, showgirls, etc. I don’t think you can find that in many other places in the whole world.

You recently hosted Manchester’s first Drag Queen Story Time, where queens read stories to children to teach them tolerance. What was that

ART is an enduringly popular comedy, telling the story of three friends who fall out when one buys a painting.

This production - starring Nigel Havers, Denis Lawson and Stephen Tompkinson - follows on from last year's Old Vic revival and will tour nationwide from February until June.

Retired dermatologist Serge (Nigel Havers) purchases a piece of contemporary art - a painting consisting of few diagonal white lines, on a white background. A bold, magnetic piece of work, or “piece of white shit”? The play concerns the reactions of his lifelong friends Marc (Denis Lawson) and Yvan (Stephen Tompkinson) to the painting, and the arguments that ensue.

Lasting 90 minutes and with no interval, the production is tight and swiftly paced. Yasmina Reza’s dialogue - translated from its original French into English by Christopher Hampton remains as witty as ever.

The original UK production that premiered on the West End in 1996 was a huge hit, though at the time the pointed commentary on the decadence of the art world likely felt more relevant.

Modern art is accepted, more or less, and the Young British Artists are young no more.

What we’re left with is a comedic exploration of friendship, a darkly humorous study not just in how the characters view the painting, but how they view each other and themselves.

Director Ellie Jones follows on from Matthew Warchus’ West End original, cleverly positioning characters to present the audience with a new focal point. The off-white set, with clean lines and minimalist decor, allows for the characters to stand out.

Hugh Vanstone’s lighting design works particularly well, regularly offering different perspectives on both the characters and the painting.

Havers as Serge is a particularly inspired piece of casting, all airs and graces and inch-perfect with each gesture. During the character’s more frantic moments, he delivers with enough edge to combat the abrasive Lawson as Marc - the engineer who sees no rational sense in buying a blank canvas for £200,000.

Early on, Stephen Tompkinson is suitably pliable as Yvan, his gurning rubber face stretched by his loyalties to both sides.

Later in the play that his performance evolves into something more profound - comedically, as he delivers a hilarious monologue on pleasing the family at his impending wedding, and dramatically, breaking down at the prospect of losing a 25-year friendship.

Ultimately, it’s a production that rises and falls on the performances of its three cast members. As individuals they are excellent, but we never get a genuine sense of the “ties that bind” the trio.

It’s difficult to picture these three very different personalities as lifelong friends, and the physical interactions feel a little inauthentic. While each individual is a bold acrylic stripe, this friendship we’re meant to care so much about is a faint watercolour.

It makes for an enjoyable and frequently funny evening, abundant in artistry but perhaps lacking in chemistry.

Oscar Lynch

like?

Great fun! I have an educational background having worked in hundreds of school delivering workshops, shows and full time teaching. It was wonderful to work with the early years and see them enjoy and experience this crazy woman in a pink puffy dress.

You’ve also performed in new musical Dancing Bear at the Palace Theatre – what effect has your faith had on your sexuality and gender identity?

I was brought up in the church and there were conflicting viewpoints being fed to me. I don’t know if there was a church discussion about official stance but there was definitely more of a positive direction being explored in Sunday School around the time I was 14 to 16. I was very, very lucky because that was not the experience of many of my peers.

What advice do you have for anyone who wants to explore the art of drag?

If you want to explore drag go for it!

We are conditioned to fit into our neat little boxes drag breaks those boxes apart by highlighting the ridiculousness of them.

What are your favourite bits of drag lingo?

Snap a lash (Ed: the drag equivalent of break a leg) is my favourite. I’m led to believe it’s Australian, although everything is so interwoven I could be wrong.

When can we next see you perform in Manchester/ the UK? I’m back in the U.K. April 6th and 7th at The West Yorkshire Playhouse with Dancing Bear and then about once a month at various venues across the U.K.

MICA MILLAR: MCR’S NEW MUSICAL STAR HITS ROAD MICA Millar is one of Manchester’s brightest musical talents. The vocalist and musician from Withington, now living in Levenshulme, has received much critical acclaim for her music.

BBC Introducing labelled her as “one of the best vocalists in the UK”.

The Reform Radio DJ, singer and musician launched the campaign “Defender” to coincide with International Women’s Day. The official launch of her new single “Defender” takes place at Band on The Wall in Manchester on 4th April.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of societal heroes and cultural issues through women telling their stories. It focuses on acts of kindness from strangers.

The first story is about Sarah who was kidnapped from the UK by her dad, as a child, and taken to Yemen. She was forced into an arranged marriage, had a pretty horrific time, and eventually a woman she met by chance helped her be reunited with her mum.

This campaign Mica has been leading provides a powerful insight into broad cultural issues – in this story, honour killings and arranged marriages. Mica describes how this part of the creative process was emotional but that Sarah said to her: ‘I feel like this process is healing me’.

In the first story Sarah was saved by a stranger. In the second story, a lady called Erika was the stranger, who helped a man being beaten in the street when no one else would.

The song itself is stunning and gives an indication of how brilliant her debut album will sound. She is one of an exciting new wave of Manchester musicians, yet her voice has a timeless quality and gives her songs a palpable sense of emotion.

Mica says: “the song is basically about when you push to the extremes of

being a human being and your morals and strength of character are challenged.”

There will be two more stories featured in the music video for “Defender” and in a short documentary being made as part of the campaign.

Mica advocates for others to share their stories of kindness from a stranger using #Thedefendercampaign.

The documentary will explore the bystander effect and the psychology of why people just stand and watch, as well as what it is that makes someone different.

Mica helped compose and produce “Defender”, with some assistance from Subjective (made up of drum and bass legend Goldie and James Davidson of Ulterior Motive).

Mica is part of a succession of Manchester artists putting out great music, and helping put Manchester on the map – as if it needed any help.

She says: “previously the media outside of Manchester have not really taken that much notice of Manchester, aside from harping back to the good old days of the Haçienda.

We’ve moved on from that. Manchester’s got its own unique sound now, heavily influenced by that underground hip-hop, soul side of things. I think it is really exciting that that side is starting to come through.

I think there’s a real community feel in Manchester within the music scene. That’s heavily tied into community work. That’s something that’s happening across the UK, but Manchester’s repping it all.”

Following Band on The Wall on April 4th, Mica Millar performs at Leaf on Bold Street, Liverpool on April 8th and The Wardrobe, Leeds on April 10th.

wwww.mancunianmatters.co.uk

March 2018

ENTERTAINMENT

S c and i po p se n sa ti on S i g r i d i s new Nordic noir

The hotly-tipped Norwegian wows in Manchester Emilia Bruce-Watt caught Sigrid @ MCR’s Academy THE Norwegian singer-songwriter has been at the top of everyone’s must-see lists since she won the BBC Sound of 2018 award earlier this year.

With previous alumni including Adele, Sam Smith and Ellie Goulding, countless publications have marked the 21year-old as the next big thing.

The pop sensation shot to the charts with “Don’t Kill My Vibe” one year ago and gained international success after securing over 100 million global streams. She featured on the soundtrack for the 2017 blockbuster Justice League with “Everyone Knows” and gained multiple award nominations including Best New Artist at the NME Awards 2018.

Sigrid has been selling out every venue of her UK tour and the Academy was no exception on Saturday night.

Opening the show with “Go to War”, she was sure to keep the super-fans happy.

Although unknown to most, the unreleased track has been a long-established opening song.

The backdrop of primary colours, akin to her artwork, perfectly reflected the essence of the up-and-coming star, echoing her youthfulness and channelling Scandi minimalism. Her almostbare production and simple brand also

allows her vocals to shine through.

The set was packed full of new material from her forthcoming second EP and yet-to-be-announced debut album, both of which are expected to be dropped later this year. With only one EP and two singles to her name, Sigrid

the huge notes with ease.

She speeds through the new tracks as if the fans already know them, breaking them up with one of her most-popular tracks, “Strangers”, before finishing on the ever-popular “Don’t Kill My Vibe”.

Sigrid’s incredible versatility can be seen as the set journeys through a mix of big ballads and synthy-pop tracks.

She resonates with the audience at her most vulnerable during “Dynamite”, introducing the song as “the sad part of the set”, as well as during her most popular tracks that earned her international recognition.

Sigrid’s confidence has been widely reported, dating back to her debut performance at Glastonbury last June. Her magnetic energy is equally as impressive as her signature falsetto.

The Scandipop artist has been compared to the likes of Lorde and Dua Lipa, both of which have gone on to gain international success, picking up numerous awards at the Grammys and Brits, suggesting what is yet to come for Sigrid.

Having already gained the attention of TALENT: Sigrid is picking up the plaudits some of the industry’s greats with only a filled out her set with unreleased tracks handful of songs to her name, it is clear to give the fans a taste of what is to that we are yet to see all that the pop come. “Savage in My Blood”, in particu- sensation has to offer. “Fake Friends” lar, showed off her delicate falsetto, cap- clearly states Sigrid’s intentions for the turing the crowd as her vocals clung to future - “I only go for gold”.

HAODS’ smash production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert brought the sparkle THE Heywood Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (HAODS) were back in action this month with their production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Heywood Civic Centre played host to a sparkling performance of the musical, which had not previously been performed at the historic theatre.

This sold-out production of Priscilla, produced and directed by Jo Weetman, was full of camp and had plenty of sparkle.

The audience cackled away throughout and stood several minutes in ovation for the superbly talented cast.

Steven Cheeseman was standout in his rendition of Felicia. Catty, fierce and fabulous, he was also able to bring an emotional quality to an otherwise high-octane role.

Steven’s lip-syncing was on point in the famous high-heel scene where Felicia sits proud atop the bus, defiant of the homophobic locals.

He said: “Priscilla is such a joyous show which addresses so many issues that I think we could all learn a little from.”

Mick Angus was also immense as Mitzy Mitosis. He played the soul-searching dad in drag perfectly.

HAODS are always great and this production didn’t let them down.

They will be back in Heywood in October with their production of Popstars – The 90s Musical.

Charlie Smith

13

Suffer Little Children: Radical readings at University of Salford OH, Manchester, so much to answer for…

So goes the haunting refrain of The Smiths’ Suffer Little Children – a requiem to the victims of the Moors Murders and a timeless call to remember the sins of the past.

It was fitting, then, that Salford’s Working Class Movement Library (WCML) titled the latest in their popular Radical Readings event series “Suffer the Little Children”, held in the stunning Peel Hall at the University of Salford.

Over the course of two hours, a group of some of Manchester’s stars took turns reading passages of poetry and prose to resurrect Victorian Britain’s suffering children, including the The Smiths’ drummer, Mike Joyce. He was joined by Maxine Peake (Black Mirror), Andrew Ellis (This is England), Nico Mirallegro (The Village), and Elle Pemberton and Molly Windsor (Three Girls).

Maxine Peake, a trustee of the library, told me that remembering this history and historical attitudes to the working class remains burningly urgent. She said: “Why have we forgotten our working class culture and our history and why have we forgotten how bad it was, how badly we were treated?

“It’s slavery. Other cultures haven’t forgotten about their slavery and they celebrate and they make sure this whole structure wouldn’t happen again. But unfortunately it is going to start happening again in this country. There will be child labor again.

“If we don’t keep remembering it we can’t move forward, and they will do unto us again what they did then.”

The closing reading came from Charles Dickens’ 1850 article, A Day in a Pauper Palace, describing the Swinton Industrial School which stood in a part of modern-day Salford. A school built to be exemplary by the Manchester Poor Law Union, it paradoxically elicited envy from the poor for the fortune of the desperately poor. As Dickens frames it, “Is it quite fair to the industrious poor that the offspring of paupers should be placed in a better position than that of his own?”

The event unearthed the forgotten stories of the children working in the satanic mills, mines, and factories in the nineteenth century.

Dan Hall

March 2018

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

14 SPORT

Meet Manchester’s b ri gh te st b ox in g h op e

Exclusive interview by Oscar Lynch DESPITE his imposing physical presence, upcoming Manchester boxer Charlie Schofield is fun to be around - sparky, animated and full of energy.

The record suggests that the latter personality trait is one that he carries with him into the ring: 12 of 13 victories have gone the distance to see him claim victory on points, including an impressive win earlier this month against Doncaster’s Adam Jones.

It served as another stepping stone for the unbeaten light-heavyweight, breaking into BoxRec’s national top 10 with a further demonstration of his considerable potential.

“I remember someone telling me ages ago that your first four or five fights, although they’re tough, you’re learning your trade, almost like an apprenticeship,” he said.

“The last two fights have been a good step up in class, and I can feel it when the opponent, instead of just sucking it up and taking shots, is actually throwing stuff back at you and wants to win.”

“Even though the last fight wasn’t my best performance it’s great to come through it with a win.”

The victory allowed for a momentary celebration for the 24-year-old - two glasses of Malibu and lemonade - before Schofield, trainer Rob Riummer and the team from the Betta Bodies Gym were back to work.

Minds are now focussed on Saturday May 5, with a bout against an as-yet unannounced opponent at the Victoria Warehouse in Manchester.

“Preparations are going great,” Schofield said.

“For the last fight we had a horrible training camp – that’s a good thing, it was hard – but had a couple of little niggles and things weren’t really going right.

“The first week is breaking your body back in again, then you’re doing more longer distance runs, more swimming.

“The work you’re doing is more fitness stuff, rather than short burst stuff.

“And then as you get closer to the fightyou work on

more explosive stuff - the running becomes sprints, the swimming gets sharper.

“This time I’ve started off where I left off, I’m injury free and feeling great.”

Facing him across the table in Central Manchester’s Grosvenor Casino Soames, it’s difficult to picture the 6′ 3″ Schofield as a stringy kid putting on the gloves for the first time.

“My dad took me down to a gym – I had loads of energy as a kid, so he was probably thinking ‘right, let’s get rid of him’ – and I just loved it.”

“

My dad took me down to a gym – I had loads of energy as a kid, so he was probably thinking ‘right, let’s get rid of him’ – and I just loved it.

”

“I had my first amateur fight and it was a great buzz as a kid getting in the ring, but I’ve never been as tired as I was then.

“I felt like I’d been in a car crash!”

He continued to impress legendary coach Bobby Rimmer, who nurtured his innate talent while ensuring a productive outlet for all that energy.

“When I was 13 or 14 of a Friday night my mates would be going out and drinking, and I’d be in the gym getting punched,” Schofield recalls.

“I won a few titles at amateur at 16 and 17, and started to think that I could do make a living from it.”

After 30 or so amateur bouts Schofield made the decision to turn professional, and hasn’t looked back - even though he keeps himself occupied with other activities.

To supplement his fight purse income, he is a personal trainer - an ideal job for the self-confessed gym rat.

“I love fitness and so I chose to sport at college, just because I really enjoyed it, but I was thinking that hopefully I could turn pro and box for a living.”

“I run a few boot camps and things like that - so I’ll get beasted in the gym and then later take the anger out on loads of clients!”

The clients he speaks of have likely been enticed and enthused by boxing’s welcome resurgence to the forefront of the national sporting scene.

Saturday is a landmark day for this renaissance as

Schofield overcame Adam Jones last time out

Anthony Joshua faces Joseph Parker at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, aiming to go one step closer to becoming the undisputed world heavyweight champion.

For Schofield, it’s an indication of what can be achieved when talent, hard work and good timing converge.

“What he’s done is amazing - if I could do half of what he’s done I’d be buzzing, he’s a national treasure now, and it’s done so much for British boxing.

“You turn the telly on and Anthony Joshua’s on it.”

Beyond the star attractions, the talent pool in

British boxing is deep at many weight classes.

Anthony Yarde, Callum Johnson and Frank Buglioni have made an impact internationally in the light-heavyweight division, and Schofield is looking to challenge that bracket of fighters.

“It’s a division that’s been pretty quiet in the past few years, so I’m hoping the light-heavyweights get some recognition.

“There’s really good talent in it, especially in the top 10 or 20 fighters.”

“I think it’s going to be one of the divisions that comes to life in the next few years, and it seems to be sparking now.”

On the way up the ladder, Schofield knows he can rely on a strong following to provide added impetus when the going gets tough.

It’s easy to picture the city supporting a lad like this, just as it has done with Anthony Crolla - though as a Blue, Schofield would perhaps prefer to emulate Ricky Hatton.

“I’ve got a top following and the people who consistently come and watch me are ace, I can’t thank them enough for the support.”

“Crolla is a great lad and it was great to see the city getting behind him, you could really see how hearing the crowd spurred him on.

“Being from Manchester and being a Man City fan as well, I remember being a kid and watching Hatton walk out at the Etihad with his belts and it was inspirational.

“I remember thinking to myself ‘one day I could be walking out there to those fans’ - I think you’ve got to aim for that level.”

After a dawn rise for a morning training session, you’d forgive Schofield for a little tiredness, but he remains an ebullient character throughout our long chat.

Sterner challenges lie ahead as he progresses to “that level”, but Manchester can be confident that Charlie Schofield has the energy to match the best.

wwww.mancunianmatters.co.uk

March 2018

SPORT

Sa l fo r d t ig hte n g r i p o n t o p spo t

15

Nationwide initiative to get more women cycling comes to Manchester

by Oscar Lynch

SA L F OR D C I T Y 4 - 1 B L YT H S P A RT A N S

by Cameron Sinclair FOR the second time in two matches Salford City were able to both come from behind and score four goals as they swept aside Blyth Spartans 4-1 on Tuesday night to solidify their place at the top of the Northern Division.

An important win for The Ammies, extending their unbeaten run to seven games as they go into the final run of fixtures.

They now sit four points clear after second placed Harrogate’s loss at home to Spennymore.

The club are now essentially in control of their own destiny, with third placed Brackley Town needing a full sweep from their three games in hand just to pull level on points.

Their last outing saw Salford come from 4-0 down with ten minutes remaining to finish 4-4; a comeback their Class of 92 backers would be proud of.

Tuesday night’s resounding win over Spartans – themselves still very much in contention for a play-off position – will only add to the confidence and self-belief the team is clearly filled with.

There was a swagger about Salford on Tuesday. They looked confident throughout the game, both with and without the ball – passing it comfortably, always looking forward and then pressing quickly when they lost pos-

session – and the crowd were confident as well.

Even when the home side went down 1-0 following some sloppy defending there was no panic. Frustration from the stands, but if anything, they just shouted and sang louder.

The Ammies always looked in control.

In spite of this, as the halftime whistle approached the energy gradually started to peter out of the Salford attack and it looked as though they would have it all to do after the break.

However, this turned out not to be the case, much to the delight of the majority inside Moor Lane. Following some success down the left flank, Nick Haughton – dangerous the whole game – picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty box and, with a drop of the shoulder fired a curling right footed effort into the bottom right hand of the net.

A standout moment from the standout player and a deserved equaliser for Salford right on the stroke of halftime.

After the break, the game quickly turned into a comfortable evening for The Ammies.

The visitors, pushed entirely back into their own half, fell victim to a contentious decision shortly after the restart when a penalty was awarded by the linesman after the referee had initially called play on.

Blyth defender, Nathan Buddle, went to ground seemingly winning the ball from Sal-

ford striker Dieseruvwe, but the assistant thought different and called a foul, much to the dismay of the Spartan players, all of whom rushed to the official in protest.

Their remonstrating fell on deaf ears though, as tends to happen with all such displays – eliciting nothing but stern words from the officials and the jeers of the home faithful.

The spot kick was slotted calmly into the bottom left by winger Tom Walker and The Ammies finally had the lead their evening’s performance deserved.

The ten minutes after the penalty proved the decisive period of the game. With the bit between their teeth and The Spartans on the back-foot, the home side found themselves camped in the opposition half.

It could be argued overconfidence set in somewhat, and one high clearance from the Blyth penalty box resulted in Spartan midfielder Hopson being through in a one-onone situation with the Salford keeper. Much to the relief of the home crowd, the visitor put it wide.

The old football adage of being most vulnerable right after scoring almost coming true once again.

Thankfully not though, and within five minutes the home side were 4-1 up and out of sight, with two goals bundled in from close range following crosses into the box. The

Southgate’s starting XI headache ON Tuesday, VAR denied England two international break wins and a sixth consecutive clean sheet, but there were plenty of signs of encouragement for fans as they close in on this summer’s World Cup in Russia – now only 180 minutes of international football away.

With the exception of Harry Kane, Kyle Walker is arguably the only other player to cement his place on the team sheet.

Southgate’s decision to deploy the full-back as a centre-half in a back-three has added a new dimension to his game. He showed against Italy he can both pick out a pass with precision from the back and join the attack with the pace and power of his overlapping runs.

As well as this, Raheem Sterling and Jesse Lingard, both in stellar form for their clubs this season, were a constant menace in both matches.

Sterling, who has 20 league goals for Manchester City, evaded a tackle and was then fouled before Lingard showed intelligence to take the free-kick quickly and play in Vardy for England to go 1-0 up.

win was all but sealed.

An impressive performance and a big score line that doesn’t flatter the league leaders.

Bernard Morley, one half of the Salford management duo, praised his team’s “desire and spirit”, calling the performance “relentless”.

Other than a failed clearance which resulted in the opening Blyth goal and a momentary lapse in concentration to allow Hopson through on goal shortly after the penalty, Salford’s keeper was seldom involved.

Their next match comes on Good Friday where they face local rivals Curzon Ashton who remain entrenched in a relegation dogfight.

The weekend line-up also features a clash between Salford’s two title challengers with Harrogate travelling to Brackley; a game The Ammies will hope finishes with dropped points for Brackley to give them some breathing room at the top.

Regardless of how other teams in the division fair though, the Salford outfit have to see their remaining six fixtures as cup finals – win them all and next season will see them fighting for promotion to the English Football League: plenty for the ‘Red and White Army’ inside Moor Lane on Tuesday to keep singing about.

by Oliver Dawnay

The blossoming partnership developing between the two wingers can only be bad news for Dele Alli – who did not impress as much when coming off the bench in both matches, nor has he impressed as much this season.

With Vardy a certain substitute when Harry Kane returns from injury, starting places in various positions are still up for grabs in all areas of the pitch.

Jack Butland was largely untested in Tuesday’s game against Italy, but Jordan Pickford, who has been the shining light in a dire Everton season, is most likely still ahead of him in the pecking order.

Nick Pope and Joe Hart will most likely start in the two remaining friendlies against Nigeria and Costa Rica. But if form is anything to go by, Joe Hart will not be boarding the plane to Russia.

The competition at the back is the most fierce of them all. Harry Maguire was solid when coming on against Holland after Joe Gomez was forced off early on, and James Tarkowski put in a promising performance and was unfortunate to gave away the controversial penalty.

A NATIONAL initiative that aims to encourage more women to take up cycling comes to Manchester this month.

The Breeze Champion scheme – launched by British Cycling supported by sponsor HSBC UK – provides training schemes to women who would like to lead regular bike rides.

It is part of a wider programme devised by British Cycling to encourage one million more women to start cycling regularly by 2020.

The one-day course on Wednesday April 14 offers training to women of any age to lead guided bike rides for groups of adults of all levels of experience and ability.

Newly qualified Breeze Champion and two-time Paralympian Mel Nicholls is excited to be part of the programme.

She said: “I’m proud to now be a qualified ride leader.

“I hope I can inspire others who may have thought their only options were inside the box, to look for ways outside of it.

“I want to use my new role to support, encourage and share the purest joy of getting on your bike and going for a ride.”

Taking place at Heald Green Village Hall in Cheadle, the Level 1 Ride Leadership Award is designed to enable participants to co-ordinate future rides for women in the area.

For info visit the British Cycling website.

Breeze Champions lead regular bike rides for amateur cyclists

John Stones almost gave away two goals and was very shaky in the opening ten minutes of the game, but he grew into it and it is highly unlikely Southgate will drop a Manchester City regular who is comfortable with the ball at his feet.

Both Henderson and Dier may start England’s first World Cup game against Tunisia, but DECISION TIME: Southgate fans are crying out for some creativity in the middle of the pitch - this need will be filled by either the inconsistent Alex Oxlade Chamberlain or consistently injured Jack Wilshere.

Gareth Southgate certainly has a selection headache ahead of this summer’s finals, but his willingness to experiement with the side has at least shown something different to previous managers. This should offer at least a little hope ahead of the 18th June.

@MM_newsonline www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

DOGFIGHT G r e a t e r M a n c h e s t e r r i v a l s i n b a t tl e f o r s u r v i v a l

By Oscar Lynch, Oliver Dawnay and Cameron Sinclair AS the end of the season approaches and the League One relegation battle intensifies, a trio of Greater Manchester teams are involved in the battle to avoid the drop.

Of the three, Bury look almost certain to suffer relegation from the division, currently rock-bottom of the division and 10 points adrift of safety.

Manager Ryan Lowe admitted his side were feeling the heat after falling to a 2-0 defeat to Wigan last time out.

“The lads are feeling a bit of pressure because they’re down at the bottom of the league,” said Lowe.

“I’m trying to take that pressure away from them, I’ll take all the pressure. I’m happy to take the flak because I’m big enough and man enough.

“Maybe defensively they’re thinking ‘I just want to get rid of it’, or in midfield taking another touch.

“Sometimes you just have to do what the instinct tells you.”

“When you’re at the bottom no luck goes for you and you are probably tensing up in certain situations because of the pressure.

“When you concede the first goal, your head goes down, but we’ll continue to play football. You’ll always see that under me.”

A glimmer of hope can be found in the fixture list, with the club’s next four games against teams also struggling for form, with two – local rivals Rochdale and Northampton – involved in the fight at the bottom.

But this is the only ray of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy outlook.

They have the lowest goal tally in the league, and their top scorer remains 34-year-old Jermaine Beckford, sidelined since October after knee surgery.

Bury travel to Bristol Rovers on Good Friday, a side just six points away from a play-off position that will provide a stern test.

The lacklustre defeat at home to Wigan looked ominous, and despite an encouraging run of form back in February, there seems to be an air of resig-

nation about the Shakers.

Rochdale face table-toppers Shrewsbury on Friday before the derby against Bury on Tuesday night, with Keith Hill’s men also entering crunch time.

Their final 10 games are a mixed bag, encountering teams positioned all over the table. Wigan feature on the fixture list, a difficult test as the Latics push for automatic promotion.

However, Rochdale take on both Bury and Oldham in crucial games which will likely decide their League One fate. The Dale are without a win in five matches and sit five points adrift of safety – albeit with two games in hand.

Looking to the fixture, Keith Hill said: “When we’ve scored two or more

TROUBLE: The league one table is not great reading for fans we’ve tended to make more mistakes than the opponent and it’s cost us dearly this season.

“We’re still in a position where can upset the odds against Shrewsbury or against any team, to be perfectly honest, in the next ten games that we play.

“We can be that good of a side and we can be the Shrewsbury of this division

over the next ten games.”

Coupled with their unprecedented cup run – which saw Rochdale reach the last 16 for the first time in their history – survival would mean a successful season.

Oldham find themselves in a position of relative comfort compared to their crosstown rivals – out of the drop zone on goal difference, but with games in hand on those around them.

Of their remaining 10 fixtures, the outcome of ties against Walsall, Rochdale and AFC Wimbledon will have a significant bearing on the survival hopes of all ,teams involved.

Manager Richie Wellens views those clashes as pivotal: “The results that will define our season are the eight or so games we have against teams in and around us.

"When you're playing against a rival on a similar amount of points as you, you've know you've got three points on them straight away which is great.

“People always make a big deal of the Easter weekend but the bigger picture for me is the fact that April is going to be a huge month with all the postponements and international breaks.”

“April will be when this squad kicks in, not necessarily this weekend but it’ll be April when you start to see the squad players playing and we’re going to need them in the coming weeks.”

The return from injury of Irish forward Eoin Doyle will provide the Latics with a welcome boost. A blood clot kept Doyle – currently on loan from Preston – out of contention for the early part of 2018.

After marking his comeback with a goal against Scunthorpe earlier this month, it looks likely Doyle will partner Craig Davies to form one of the league’s stronger strike partnerships.

If they can fire the Latics past their relegation rivals, Oldham should be playing in League One next season.

And this could well be at the expense of one – or both – of their nearest rivals.