Life in Salford magazine issue 42

Places for Everyone plan

Government inspectors have recommended the North of Irlam Train Station site be removed from the city-region’s spatial plan: Places for Everyone, the long-term plan for nine of the Greater Manchester districts for jobs, new homes and sustainable growth.

The final plan will direct the kind of development that takes place across nine of the Greater Manchester districts, maximising the use of brownfield land and urban spaces while better protecting Green Belt land. It will also ensure all new developments are connected to the public transport network and supported by infrastructure.

Following recent hearing sessions addressing peat, and input from Natural England, stakeholders and residents, the inspectors have recommended that the proposed plan which goes to the next stage of consultation should not include land North of Irlam Train Station. This is one of a number of sites being considered within the spatial plan containing degraded peatland.

Councillor McCusker, Lead Member for Planning, Transport and Sustainable Development said: “We note the findings and recommendations detailed within the inspectors note, which if approved by the nine Greater Manchester districts will form the basis of a forthcoming consultation on modifications to the spatial plan."

“However, the inspectors’ recommendations would result in the loss of a development that could have provided much needed truly affordable homes in Irlam and Cadishead to help us tackle the housing and homelessness crisis we’re facing in our city."

Pendleton plans move on

Plans for the next phase of regeneration in Pendleton have been submitted.

If approved 471 one-to-four-bedroom energy efficient apartments and houses, 30 per cent of which will be affordable, will be created along with the regeneration of Clarendon Park, with new planting, wetlands, new play areas and equipment, a multi-use games area, skatepark and a community allotment. Lovell Partnerships and Together Housing Group are behind the plans.

“This is especially important as we currently have 4,097 people on the housing waiting list and 584 households in temporary accommodation (185 requiring single accommodation and 399 families with 253 of those with two or more children).”

“We’re generally pleased that the inspectors’ recommendations support the plans for East of Boothstown and the Port Salford extension, which will provide family housing, contributions towards affordable housing and business growth. However, we’re disappointed with the recommendation to remove the sustainable North of Irlam Train Station site, particularly as Natural England substantially changed their position very late in the process.”

“We understand the importance of restored peat, but believe that the prospects for the restoration of this site is very low if government funding isn’t forthcoming. Our development plans could have generated much needed funding for the restoration in other parts of Chat Moss to protect it and get it to a state to act as a carbon sink and really become an ecological asset in the city."

“Chronic lack of resources for peatland restoration are particularly worrying given national government’s watered down commitments on climate change. We will now be making our own representations to Natural England on how they propose to speed up the restoration of Chat Moss and look forward to hearing from them more generally following their representations at recent spatial plan hearing sessions on peat to understand how they intend to work with the council and others in realising the restoration of Chat Moss and the bigger Greater Manchester Wetlands Vision."

Have your say

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LIFE is administered and designed by Salford City Council’s Communications Team. This edition will be distributed week commencing Monday 28 August. Printing: Swan Print. Distributed to more than 130,000 households by Royal Mail and other agencies. Contact: Salford Civic Centre, Swinton, Salford, M27 5FJ.

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Visit The Salfordian

Affordable, wheelchair accessible breaks are available at The Salfordian Hotel, Southport. Visit www.salford.gov.uk/salfordian for details or call 01704 538810 or 0161 925 1233 or email thesalfordianhotel@outlook.com

Cover image: John Cooper Clarke being presented with his Freedom of the City award by the Right Worshipful Ceremonial Mayor of Salford, Councillor Gina Reynolds and the Deputy Mayor of Salford, Councillor Tracy Kelly

£3.2 million

Cost of Living Support Fund

The national cost of living crisis has hit people hard, especially those residents less well-off within our communities.

In Salford, we have a strong longstanding commitment to support residents most at risk, with financial assistance, advice and guidance. Tackling poverty continues to remain a mayoral priority, both in terms of immediate support offered and how we prevent poverty. I have now agreed in consultation with the whole Mayoral Team to use a one off refund from the Greater Manchester Waste Levy of £3.2 million to provide some extra targeted support to residents, families and young people most impacted by the ongoing cost of living crisis engulfing our city and the UK.

Currently over a third of school age children are eligible for free school meals and I prioritised taking an early decision to increase the value of summer holiday meal vouchers. I know how important this support has been to families in previous years, ensuring all eligible children receive a decent nutritious meal during the six week summer holidays, by providing £90 per child. Our school holiday meal vouchers initiative will also ensure that all eligible children receive support across all school holidays.

The £3.2 million Cost of Living Support Fund will also:

• Support Salford Community Leisure in providing subsidised activities for low-income families and the successful Holiday Activity Fund will be extended to also provide a universal low cost offer to all (subject to demand, during school holidays for the next 12 months). Discounts will be offered in all Salford Leisure cafes for our over 70s in the city.

• Increase the council’s Salford Assist fund by £750,000 to support our most vulnerable residents who find themselves in crisis or an emergency situation. The Salford Assist fund is already facing more demand than they can meet and this investment will help continue our important work to support residents.

• Additional support will also be provided for care leavers with the cost of utility bills, and there will be continued investment into the Salford Leaving Care Service and the Rough Sleepers Accommodation Programme as part of our commitment to provide much needed affordable accommodation.

• Increase investment within the council’s Welfare Rights and Debt Advice Service by £406,521 for a campaign and advocacy to increase take-up by people of pensionable age of pension credit(s) and any other financial support.

• Support Salford Credit Union’s offer to provide an ethical and secure alternative to high-cost lenders and loan sharks with the aim of increasing awareness, providing a junior savings club and reducing interest rates on loans for 12 months. The work of the city’s Credit Union has become especially important at this time with greater risk of local people becoming victim to loan sharks and highcost lenders.

The Cost of Living Support Fund proposals and initiatives will support residents, families and young people, putting money directly in the pockets of these residents and households to support them with rising food, energy and housing costs. This additional investment of £3.2m will build on existing support such as independent money advice; support through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme which helps with council tax bills and the Back on Track initiative to assist residents with council tax arrears; in-person and digital support through Better Off Salford to ensure families and businesses receive all unclaimed assistance available; and support to help residents to stay warm over the winter.

For information visit www.salford.gov.uk/costofliving

There are also free activities for all residents. The hugely successful We Invented the Weekend festival returns in 2024. There are free galleries at The Lowry where people can see the incredible work of L S Lowry. RHS Garden Bridgewater has free entry for Salford residents on Tuesdays.

I’d like to thank all our partner agencies who are supporting our communities and young people in this crisis. The work going on in the city is incredible and Salford would not be the same without you.

City Mayor Paul Dennett

John, who lived in Higher Broughton, was inspired by his English teacher and became a punk poet in the 1970s, touring with the Sex Pistols, The Fall, Joy Division and New Order. His fans include Sir Paul McCartney, Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys and Peter Hook. The Ceremonial Mayor of Salford, Councillor Gina Reynolds said: "Salford has always been a city of creativity that has nurtured remarkable artists. John Cooper Clarke is an icon not only in Salford but throughout the country.

John Cooper Clarke honoured

Salford City Council has honoured Dr John Cooper Clarke with the Freedom of the City for his extraordinary contribution to the world of poetry and his unwavering commitment to the arts.

“He has inspired countless artists, musicians and writers with his incredible talent and has given a voice to the working-class spirit within his verses.”

“How wonderful – I’ve circumnavigated the globe 10 times, reciting poetry all the way and coming back here to my home town of Salford is always a treat... But this one –WOW. Thank you everyone!” said Dr Clarke

Culture Made in Salford

Salford is set to become an arts and culture hotspot thanks to a major funding boost of £749,600 from Arts Council England National Lottery Projects Grants.

Residents can look forward to the biggest ever programme of creative activities and events over three years. Cultural organisations will be working in partnership, alongside residents to bring fun, entertaining and wellbeing focussed activities to the city’s parks, gardens, high streets and neighbourhoods.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “This is great news for the city and our residents. This funding will enable the city’s rich, vibrant and unique cultural ecology to thrive, making Salford a place where artists, creatives and makers from all walks of life can live, work and make their work, whilst also ensuring that art, creativity and making are accessible for everyone in the city.”

Highlights include:

RHS Garden Bridgewater inviting people to get crafty with woodland craft activities and gardening.

Walk the Plank, training ‘Creative Explorers’ to bring new creativity and adventure to city events. The Sounds From The Other City team getting people dancing in the streets with mini pop-up music festivals.

‘We Invented the Weekend’ transforming MediaCity into a family friendly festival of free time.

Others who have been honoured with Freedom of the City of Salford for their outstanding achievements and contributions to society include Nelson Mandela, Harold Riley, L.S Lowry and Alan Henning.

This is Salford City Council’s annual performance report for 2022/23. Here, we take a closer look at how we have delivered on our Great Eight priorities.

The council’s welfare rights and debt advice service helped Salford residents in low-income households access over £6.5 million

In 2022 we provided over 3,000 children with food and holiday activities and around 35,000 meals and packed lunches were provided to children. During the Christmas period we provided 500 free Christmas meals to over 65s.

We launched our Support with the Cost of Living campaign in October to help Salford residents understand the wide range of support available.

We purchased Eccles Shopping Centre and will be receiving £5.4 million of government funding to help us redevelop Eccles town centre.

We now have

Salford was one of the first councils to complete paying the energy tax rebate direct to over 60,000 customers who paid their council tax by direct debit.

Our Salford Assist team processed 635 applications to help people in crisis access emergency support and received 18,000 applications for support from the government’s Household Support Fund to pay for essentials such as food and energy costs.

We increased the number of accredited

Real Living Wage

employers in Salford from 83 last year to 102 this year.

We have been named as one of Britain’s most inclusive employers by Stonewall, Europe’s largest charity for LGBTQ+ people and received their bronze award for our commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ staff and residents across the city.

We launched the

Swinton Vision

to ask people to share their ideas on how to make the town more vibrant. 550 people shared their ideas and we will be appointing a developer to work with the community to develop a plan.

Two of our parks –Peel Park on Chapel Street and Lightoaks Park in Claremont - were voted among the best in the country by residents in the UK’s Favourite Parks award. These two parks were awarded “local favourite” status.

9 parks and green spaces with Green Flag status in

Salford. After a programme of improvements Parr Fold Park has been awarded a Green Flag.

In May 2022 RHS Garden Bridgewater celebrated its first anniversary. During its first year the garden had over 482,000 visitors, 18,160 free tickets were issued to Salford residents, 162 jobs were created and Community Garden plots were provided to 10 local groups.

The first We Invented the Weekend

festival was held at MediaCity, Salford Quays. The free two-day festival celebrates how people spend their leisure time and thousands of people attended over 200 free activities put on over the weekend.

We are providing a Greener Salford campaign to residents in the city to encourage everyone to play their part in reducing their carbon footprint and tackling the climate emergency.

96

Passivhous apartments are being built as part of the Salford Central regeneration project. These homes are built to reduce energy consumption by 90% compared to traditional houses, helping residents to reduce fuel bills, and cut their carbon footprint. This project also includes the Eden office building, which is home to Europe’s largest living wall containing over 350,000 plants.

We are piloting the use of green waste

bins at Peel Green cemetery

to recycle plants and flowers into compost.

We are installing solar carports at Salford City Council’s depots in Eccles and Swinton. These will generate the equivalent of 80% of the electricity used at the sites.

Carbon Literacy training

has been provided to staff across the council to raise awareness on how they can reduce carbon emissions as individuals and as a council.

Over 96% of our early years settings (day nurseries, pre-schools etc.) in Salford have been rated as good or outstanding.

Our Early Help Service supported 1,951 children to achieve better outcomes, making sure they learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe.

In May 2022, our team behind the Salford Skills for Business Apprenticeship Fund won the Best Partnership/ Collaboration Award at the Public Services People Managers Association Awards. The fund provides financial support to organisations who want to employ an apprentice or develop their existing staff. Since it was launched the fund has supported 29 organisations and 58 individuals to have an apprenticeship.

We launched the Salford Supported

Employment Service

to help people who are autistic or have learning disabilities to find a paid job.

In 2022/23 we created 97 apprenticeships at the council and 70 council employees completed their apprenticeships in 2022.

The unemployment figure in Salford has now reduced to 5% and levels have been steadily reducing over the last year.

Dérive completed its 100th

affordable home, in Walkden. More affordable homes for local people are being built in Pendlebury, Langworthy, Ordsall, Weaste, Charlestown and Little Hulton. We also have plans to build a further 589 affordable homes.

In the last financial year we delivered 2,324 new homes, of which 312 were affordable. New e-scooter routes and pick up points have been added within the city.

We unveiled our first ever cycle lane roundabout in Salford. We are leading the way in creating safe and sustainable travel solutions.

We completed one of our biggest ever road improvement schemes on Trafford Road.

Every junction, crossing and bus stop along the two-mile stretch in Salford has been improved. Extra pedestrian and cycle crossings have also been introduced.

Our housing company, Dérive, has now legally become a Registered Provider (RP)

The company was set up in 2017 to increase the number of well-designed, affordable homes for local people. This means that we can now press on with the priority of building more zero carbon homes for social rent.

REGISTERED PROVIDER (RP)

We developed a new Homelessness Strategy to try and identify those at risk of having no home at an early stage so we can step in and help out.

The brand-new park and ride facility at Walkden Railway Station has been completed, providing over 107 car parking spaces. It also includes electric vehicle charging points, motorcycle bays and cycle storage for up to 32 bikes.

We took part in a new, first of its kind pilot launched with Greater Manchester to support care leavers in Salford to get online and benefit from the opportunities the digital world brings. After the pilot in Salford, this could be rolled out to all

3,900 care leavers living in Greater Manchester.

We have supported

17,859 customers to get online through our Digital Everyone Programme and supported 351 residents by giving them laptops and tablets so they can stay connected in the digital world.

Our Planning team won the

Planning Authority of the year

award in the national Royal Town Planning Institute Awards. Judges said the planning department was outstanding and goes above and beyond to improve the service for customers.

Deloitte’s Crane Survey which measures growth, property and regeneration highlighted that Salford now has the largest share of residential development outside London since 2014. Salford also has some of the highest population growth in the country. More people are moving to Salford and generating more income in our city.

In May 2022 we approved plans for the governmentfunded Salford RISE – a fiveacre bridge to be built over Frederick Road in Salford. This is part of the wider £2.5 billion 240-acre Crescent masterplan, which is expected to generate £200 million of commercial development and more than 6,000 jobs. It also aims to deliver 3,000 homes, alongside offices, retail, leisure and a new transport hub.

£377 million of private sector investment and £48.9 million of public sector investment has been secured for regeneration of the city.

94% of adult social care providers in Salford have been rated as Good by the Care Quality Commission. This exceeded our target of 90%.

All our children’s residential homes have been graded as Good or Outstanding.

The council, working with its partners, has helped 8 companies and businesses to relocate to Salford or expand. This has created 935 new jobs with the value to the Salford economy estimated to be £50.7 million.

From January 2023, all major planning applications in Salford need to include a social value strategy to describe how plans will provide more benefits for communities, such as jobs for local people, contributions to community projects and reducing carbon emissions.

Our tooth brushing programme is helping to improve children’s oral health. In 2015 51% of five-year-olds had tooth decay. In 2022 this has reduced to 33%.

Salford has been chosen to be one of 14 trailblazer areas to receive funding from the government’s Family Hubs Transformation Fund. Our work will highlight what can be done in other areas to improve services for families.

We were a finalist in the category of Children’s

Services of the Year

in the Local Government Chronicle Awards 2023. This is for the innovative programme our Strengthening Families team provide to support parents who have had children in care.

Our Public Health team is creating a network of

Community Champions

to help local people get the right health and wellbeing information, such as how important it is to have vaccinations.

Affordable homes for local people

Salford City Council’s own housing company has handed over the first homes to its registered provider (RP) arm.

Dérive RP achieved registered provider status in March when it was approved by the regulator and is wholly owned by Dérive Group Limited. The company was set up in 2017 to increase the supply of affordable homes. A total of 92 homes have been completed and handed over to the RP arm with a further 83 homes being handed over by the

end of the year. At Clifton Green 47 apartments (one and two bedroomed) and four townhouses (three and four bedroomed) have been moved into by local people. All properties are built to Passivhaus standards which mean they meet rigorous energy standards meaning cheaper running costs for residents.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “In this national housing crisis people are desperate for somewhere to live. So in Salford we set-up

Dérive to provide more affordable homes for local people. At Clifton Green we have a mix of homes and apartments with some specially adapted for wheelchair users.”

Councillor Tracy Kelly, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Housing, Property and Regeneration said: “At Dérive Group Limited we are working hard to build affordable homes across the city. We have a pipeline of 600 homes and are working to provide even more.”

Keeping you safe in your home

Providing a safe, well maintained home is important to us.

We carry out important work on your home every year to make sure it’s fit for the future. We’ve developed a ‘Keeping you safe’ area on our website to share with you how we protect you and your home.

This includes:

electrical safety

In this new website area, there is information about what we’re doing to keep you and your home safe as a landlord, and we will also share important tips on how you can stay safe at home.

To find out more scan the QR code or visit www.forhousing.co.uk/keeping-you-safe

Salford Community Diagnostic Centre to open this year

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) is opening a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Salford, in partnership with InHealth, the UK’s largest specialist provider of diagnostic solutions. The new centre will open later in 2023.

With funding provided by NHS England, thousands of people will be able to visit it to get a wide range of diagnostic tests in an accessible communitybased location, away from a busy hospital site.

The Salford CDC situated at West One Retail Park in Eccles will provide scanning (MRI, CT and Ultrasound), heart and lung tests and tele-dermatology. Patients will be able to access the services via a referral from their GP or hospital-based clinician.

The CDC project team recently attended Healthwatch Salford’s Health Fair to answer questions from members of the community about the benefits of having a CDC close to home.

“We met so many wonderful people from all over Salford who were all really positive about the new CDC and what it will add to the community,” said Barney Schofield, Director of Planning and Delivery at the NCA. The government has committed £2.3 billion nationally to open up to 160 CDCs by 2025.

Don’t lose your chance to vote

Salford City Council is carrying out its annual update of the electoral register which lists who can vote in local and national elections. This is called the annual household canvass, which must be done by law. We’re sending letters to every household so you can check your details. Remember to add on 16 and 17 year olds in your household. Please look out for it in the post, read it carefully and return if requested. Make sure you’re ready to vote.

www.salford.gov.uk/electoralregister-update

Remember to be aware of the danger of open water

As part of the latest Greater Manchester Fire Service campaign we are reminding people about the dangers of open water. Remember, whatever the time of year, cold water shock kills even the strongest swimmers and jumping into open water can be fatal. Please let your children know that they need to stay safe around water and speak with them about the dangers – it could save their life.

If you see someone in difficulty in the water remember ‘call, tell, throw’

• Call 999 and ask for the fire service if inland or the coastguard if at the sea.

• Tell the struggling person to try to float on their back.

• Throw them something that floats.

For more information see manchesterfire.gov.uk/ your-safety/campaigns/ water-safety

Photo shows: Andy Howlett, Director of Strategy, Community Diagnostic Centres, InHealth, Barney Schofield, Director of Planning and Delivery and Aoife Gregory, Operational Delivery Manager, both Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

Thirty ways to move more

If you

From toddler walks and child-friendly sessions to stretching, gentle aerobics, bowling, curling, outdoor gym sessions, tennis, cycling and learning to run there are more than 30 free, low level exercise sessions for adults living or working in Salford.

Over 30 free exercise sessions

To find out more visit www.salford.gov.uk/ healthimprovement or call 0800 952 1000 (select option two) or email: health.improvement@salford.gov.uk

Or check out Salford Community Leisure for classes, gyms and swimming www.salfordcommunityleisure.co.uk

Protection from cancer

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects boys and girls from cancers caused by this very common group of viruses. It is routinely offered to Year 8 pupils, with a second dose six to 24 months afterwards.

However, from September this year, young men and women aged under 25 will be offered just one dose of the HPV vaccine instead of two doses because this gives sufficient protection.

Anyone under 25 who missed the vaccination at school can contact their school nurse or school immunisation team if still in school or their GP practice to book an appointment.

For more information, visit www.nhs.uk/hpv

AAA screening for men

Help and advice every month

A free calendar full of tips on how to boost your mental and physical health is now available.

Launched as part of Salford City Council’s annual public health report, the calendar signposts people to support services as well as suggesting simple healthy things to do each month.

Ideas range from getting blood pressure checks to taking part in Stoptober, the 28 day stop smoking challenge and getting winter vaccinations to stay well.

Download a copy to learn more www.salford.gov.uk/mental-health-calendar

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a swelling in the aorta, the artery that carries blood from the heart to the stomach.

AAA often has no symptoms and while most aneurysms don’t cause problems they can rupture causing life-threatening internal bleeding. That’s why all men aged 64 and over are being offered a simple, painless ultra-sound scan to check all is well. If you receive a letter in the post please make sure you book your test straight away. You can book with your GP if it’s your first AAA screening or visit www.nhs.uk/AAA. Always contact your GP practice if you have any concerns about your health.

want to move more this year and reduce your chance of serious illness, Salford City Council’s health improvement service can help.

Sian Grant, Executive Director of Customers and Communities at Salix Homes, said:

“Our Springboard grant programme provides much-needed funding for many grassroots groups and community projects that are really making a difference to people and communities across Salford.

“In the past year alone, we’ve channelled more than £49,000 into 44 different community initiatives, many of which provide a lifeline in the community, particularly during the cost-ofliving crisis which has impacted people in so many ways.

“The Springboard Heroes Awards is our way of honouring some of the fantastic work taking place in Salford to improve lives and increase opportunities, so we’d urge you to cast your vote for your favourite and help them win the £1,000 prize, which we hope will go some way to enabling them to continue the wonderful work they do.”

Scan the QR code or visit www.salixhomes.co.uk/ heroes2023 to watch a short video of each of the finalists and cast your vote online.

The deadline for voting closes on Friday, September 8 and the winners will be announced on Salix Homes Facebook page the following week.

Chandos Bowling Club:

For more than 50 years, Chandos Bowling Club, based in Weaste, has been at the heart of the community, providing a welcoming sporting and social activity that is open to all. Its members describe it as an “oasis in the middle of Salford” and for many it’s been a lifeline for helping to overcome isolation or mental health issues. The club is a community in itself, offering a safe and inclusive place to exercise, meet with friends and get some fresh air, providing lasting benefits to people’s health and wellbeing.

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Salford Forum for Refugees and People Seeking Asylum:

The forum is made up of representatives from local community groups to provide help and support to refugees and people seeking asylum in Salford. Together they organise events and initiatives to help promote community cohesion, and recently held a Compassion into Action event to celebrate Refugee Week. As Salford’s changing population becomes more diverse, holding events in the community and raising awareness about the issues affecting the lives of refugees and asylum seekers, becomes increasingly important, as it creates opportunities to bring together a range of people from different backgrounds.

The finalists for the Springboard Heroes Awards 2023 are:

Ordsall Community Arts Centre:

Ordsall Community Arts Centre is a long-established community arts group providing arts and education opportunities for local people of all ages. They run a wide range of art-based activities from their base in Robert Hall Street including woodwork workshops, sewing and craft activities and knit and natter sessions.

The group’s volunteers are real advocates for using art to improve health and wellbeing, with some members having overcome brain injuries using art to support their cognitive rehabilitation.

Visit from the Stork:

Visit from the Stork is based at the Emmanuel Church on Langworthy Road and supports new parents and parents-to-be across Salford and Greater Manchester. Its vision is for all parents to be equipped with the resources they need to achieve a better quality of life for themselves and their family. They provide access to essential equipment for babies and children, low-cost toys and run groups and activities for families including breastfeeding support and parent and baby classes. They also work closely with last year’s Springboard Heroes winner – Manchester City Mission, providing baby and childcare essentials for families experiencing poverty.