Recycling Centre Temporary Closure

Posted on February 7, 2024 by Jeremy Hoad

Sandfold Lane Waste and Recycling centre will be temporarily closed from Monday 26^th February – Wednesday 6^th March.

This is so essential maintenance works can take place.

All Greater Manchester residents can use any waste and recycling centre in the borough (except Wigan) – you can find an alternative centre here:

Find a recycling centre – Recycle for Greater Manchester

The closest ones to Sandfold Lane are:

Ash Road, Droylsden, M43 6QU
Reliance Street, Manchester, M40 3EZ
Bredbury Parkway, Bredbury, SK6 2SN
Longley Lane, Sharston, M22 4RQ

Village Green Tidy Up

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Jeremy Hoad

A team from Dowhigh Ltd has been on the Village Green today clearing overgrown shrubs, scattering poppy seeds and replanting. Some plants have been recycled but many new plants have been supplied by the marvellous Bud Garden Centre. The planters have been refreshed with new soil and plants and the whole area will be cleaned and tidied up. New murals are also planned. It is a big improvement already and we look forward to seeing how it develops and the final results. Hopefully the Bee will be repaired as well as we have previously reported the cracks and damage.

Another Active Neighbourhood Consultation On New £7 million Plans

Posted on July 12, 2023 by Jeremy Hoad

Manchester City Council has announced today that there will be another consultation on final plans for the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood scheme. This follows the release of three sets of “final plans” over a year ago and one “final consultation”. The news release says:

“A consultation will soon take place on a proposal to include an additional crossing on the A6, expanding the provision of high-quality and safer walking and cycling routes, with the intention being that local people are better connected by safer walking, wheeling, and cycling routes with local shops and facilities.”
MCC news release, 12 july 2023

This would be helpful after well over a year of silence on the scheme from the council and councillors. The only works undertaken so far have been in Burnage Ward on Errwood Road and the installation of the permanent versions of the 14 modal filters / road blocks across Levenshulme Ward. Sadly the filters do not include any trees in the concrete blocks as was originally promised. There is still no news on the proposed modal filters / road blocks on Linden Park and Milwain Road.

The council says the latest “final plans” will cost £7 million:

“The cost, estimated at £7m in total, is likely to be split between MCC and GMCA. The proposed solution will allow the successful delivery of this project as part of the Bee Network in the local area as well as allowing specific Council-led design choices that respond to public consultation feedback.”
MCC news release, 12 july 2023

This is over 300% more than the original budget of £2.3 million. In 2022 Levenshulme councillor Basat Sheikh said the cost for the scheme had increased to £4.6 million. The vast majority of the funding was originally from the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Challenge Fund using money provided by the government and included a contribution from Manchester City Council of £100,000. The council has not said how much of the new proposed £7 million cost will come from Manchester City Council.

The original proposals included significantly more than last year’s “final plans” proposed so it will be interesting to see what the new “final plans” include and whether any more of what the Council and the now defunct Levenshulme Bee Network had promised has been reinstated. Levenshulme Councillors have recently said that the Council will not install any more modal filters / road blocks.

Levenshulme Community Association has consistently supported the idea of an Active Neighbourhood and made positive proposals throughout the several years of this project. If the new “final plans” include improvements to pavements and crossings and cycle routes that actually connect across and outside the area as this announcement suggests then that will be a big improvement on the previous “final plans” that only included one cycle lane that ran half way along Matthews Lane and did not connect to anything at either end. Pavement and accessibility improvements were also previously limited to only a handful of roads in the area.

The LCA will continue to provide further updates as information becomes available.

Manchester Evening News also has an article on the latest announcement from Manchester City Council.

The council news item is HERE

The MEN article is HERE

Big Bug Bonanza At Bluebell Green

Posted on June 1, 2023 by Jeremy Hoad

This Saturday (3 June) at Bluebell Green we’ve got the Big Bug Bonanza. Lots of activities for kids and it’s lovely picnic weather.

Bluebell Green is in Chapel Street Park.

Levenshulme and Burnage Open Gardens 2023

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Jeremy Hoad

Levenshulme and Burnage Open Gardens are back again on Sunday 4 June, 11.00-17.00. Programmes are on sale from Trove on Stockport Rd and Bud Garden Centre on Omer Drive.

All proceeds will be donated to Growing Together Levenshulme.

Thanks to Brenda Smith at Bud Garden Centre for organising the Open Gardens.

Levenshulme Allotments Big Plant Sale

Posted on May 7, 2023 by Jeremy Hoad

*Levenshulme Allotments Big Plant Sale on Coronation Weekend: 11am-4pm Sunday 7 May *

Come on down to the Levenshulme Allotments Community Greenhouse, Highfield Road, M19 3JX, from 11am-4pm on Sunday 7 May.

We have a range of bedding and vegetable plants at low prices, alongside tasty cakes, chips, hotdogs – both meat and veggie!

Please note that we only accept cash payment. All welcome.

Available bedding plants:

Marigold
Begonia
Trailing purple lobelia
Impatiens (Busy Lizzy)
Petunia – Pirouette mixed
Geranium mixed

Available vegetable plants:

Sweet corn
Cucumber
Courgette
Tomatoes – Alicante, Gardeners Delight & Moneymaker

Election Hustings 2023

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Site Admin

Levenshulme Community Association is delighted to announce hustings for the local elections on Thursday 27 April 2023.

This is an opportunity for anyone to come along and ask questions of the candidates. The hustings will be held at St Peter’s Church on Stockport Road (opposite Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre).

18.30 Levenshulme hustings

20.00 Burnage hustings

All candidates (listed below) have been invited to attend personally or send a representative. The hustings will be chaired by Rev George Reeves.

Levenshulme is one of the few areas that still holds hustings. We hold hustings for both Burnage Ward and Levenshulme Ward because the Levenshulme community stretches across the Ward boundaries. The LCA has done so for many years and we believe it is an important event to enable residents to hold candidates to account and hear what their ideas are for our community.

Everyone is welcome. We hope to see you at the hustings.

Remember that you must bring photo ID to the polling station to vote. This is a new requirement imposed by the government. You can find out further information HERE. A full list of which forms of ID will be accepted is available HERE.

LCA Hustings 2023 for Levenshulme and Burnage Wards

Levenshulme local election candidates 2023

Gardening Sessions At Bluebell Green

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Jeremy Hoad

Gardening Sessions at Bluebell Green in Chapel Street Park start again today. You don’t need any experience and tools are provided.

18.00-19.30 Mondays
10.00-14.00 Saturdays

Great British Spring Clean

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Jeremy Hoad

Levenshulme continues to be blighted by litter and dumping.

The Great British Spring Clean is 17 March – 23 April 2023. Back for its eighth year, the Great British Spring Clean is the nation’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign. You can pledge to pick up a bag of litter – or more – from today.

Find out more HERE

Free Compost For Community Groups

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Jeremy Hoad

A bulk one tonne bag of compost is available for free to community groups from Recycle for Greater Manchester.

The following organisations qualify:

Registered Charity (charity number must be provided)
Not-for-profit organisation (defined as a registered legal entity that does not make a private profit for directors, members, or shareholders)
Community, Neighbourhood or Voluntary Group (eg. Friends of…, allotment society)
Faith group
School, College or University

If you are interested further information is available HERE

Highfield Country Park Nature Recording Event

Posted on June 11, 2022 by Jeremy Hoad

The Bee Sanctuary has got together an amazing group of people with specialist knowledge to help them make as comprehensive as possible record of the wildlife on the Bee Sanctuary and Highfield Country Park in ONE DAY.

Birdwatchers, Bug hunters, Bee botherers, Slug lovers and all nature watchers welcome.

12 June starting 10am

Help Clear The Ground For The New Manchester Library Of Things

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Jeremy Hoad

Manchester Library of Things Ground Clearance Day

Volunteers needed! We need all hands on deck at Levenshulme Old Library on Saturday 11th June 10.00-14.00 to help us get the grounds ready for our shipping container.

This is where we’ll keep all of the lovely Things for MCRLOT, and planning permission has now gone in – woohoo!

While we wait to hear back, we’ll be clearing and levelling the ground, and tidying up the library garden while we’re at it. We’d love as many people as possible to help us, so please come along and share this event!

What is the Manchester Library of Things?

Coming soon to Levenshulme… Manchester’s very first Library of Things!

MCRLoT is your community shed: bursting with things you need, but don’t want to buy. It works just like a normal library, you can borrow whatever you like – from power tools and pizza ovens to carpet cleaners and camping equipment.

Together, we can have more, save money and protect the planet.

Check out our new website here: www.mcrlot.com

Bluebell Green Gardening Sessions

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Jeremy Hoad

Gardening sessions at Bluebell Green in Chapel Street Park

Just a reminder if you have green fingers or would like to learn more about gardening, we’re open at these times through the growing season.

Monday and Wednesday are for adult gardening but children welcome to come and play in the kids area while grown ups garden.

Saturdays are our regular community and volunteer sessions. Come down to play, garden, volunteer or just sit and enjoy the space.

Highfield Country Park Walk

Posted on May 11, 2022 by Jeremy Hoad

Join the Friends of Highfield Country Park for their monthly walk around the park on Saturday 28th May!

They will be exploring different areas of the park and discovering the range of nature and wildlife that can be found. This will also be a chance to find out more about the Friends group and their future plans.

Everyone is welcome to join and the walk will be suitable for all ages and abilities. Meet by the Bowler Street entrance (postcode: M19 2UA) at 11am with the walk lasting until around 12.30pm.

Find out more about Highfield Country Park HERE

What’s Going On At Brickie Green?

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Jeremy Hoad

What’s going on at Brickie Green? A grassroots community project.

Dates for the diary
3rd June – Garden party! in celebration of the queens jubilee
15th August – annual general meeting

If your able to donate material, time, or skills please get in touch! Facebook page HERE

Spring Clean event on Mathews Lane

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Jeremy Hoad

There’s a GB Spring Clean event on Mathews Lane on Weds 6^th April (drop-in 11am to 2pm).

Activities at Bluebell Green in Chapel St Park

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Jeremy Hoad

Activities at Bluebell Green in Chapel St Park, March-June.

Storm Eunice Warning

Posted on February 17, 2022 by Jeremy Hoad

Advice from Manchester City Council

An amber warning has been issued for Manchester tomorrow as Storm Eunice is forecast to bring extremely strong winds.

Winds may reach 50-70mph between 10:00 and 16:00 tomorrow. Although still likely to be windy after 16:00 it is not expected to be disruptively so. The initial forecast impacts of snow are not thought to be likely across Manchester. Saturday is expected to be calmer but further heavy rain and high winds are expected Sunday into Monday with potential flooding but this will be closely monitored.

The key utilities providers and Emergency services have high levels of preparedness and resilience. Disruption to the rail network is expected to be high and they are asking people not to travel by rail tomorrow. Transport for Greater Manchester is asking people to consider if there journey is really necessary and only travel if required.

Key impacts as a result are likely to be damage to trees, buildings, particularly tall buildings and building sites with cranes/scaffolding, flying debris and disruption to travel.

With the unusually high speed of the winds please be aware about potential for damage on building sites, cranes, scaffolding etc.

For weather updates please visit the Met Office website and remember to check Transport for Greater Manchester for any changes to travel services.

Who Owns The City Public Land Map

Posted on January 14, 2022 by Jeremy Hoad

A new map has been developed to improve transparency around public land ownership and use and to encourage public debate around how this resource can be better used to address social and environmental needs.

The map will allow you to identify land that is owned by Manchester City Council. It will also allow you to explore the privatisation of Council-owned land in the central wards of Cheetham, Miles Platting & Newton Heath, Ancoats & Beswick, Ardwick, Hulme, Deansgate and Piccadilly.

The map is the result of research carried out by Dr Tom Gillespie (University of Manchester) and Dr Jonathan Silver (University of Sheffield) with Greater Manchester Housing Action investigating the privatisation of public land in Manchester. The project is supported by the University of Manchester and ESRC. More information is available here.

To view the map go to whoownsthecity.org

Active Neighbourhood Consultation Extended

Posted on January 14, 2022 by Jeremy Hoad

The council held the first of the two video calls on the Active Neighbourhood last night (Thursday 13 January 2022). This was an opportunity for people to ask questions about the current proposals / plans.

The Project Team has responded to the request by Levenshulme Community Association and Levenshulme Traders Association for an extension to the consultation. The new deadline is Sunday 30th January 2022. The deadline was extended to 28 January on 13 January and then extended to 30 January on 14 January. Full information on how to comment is available HERE.

The Project Team has finally provided a plan for Grangethorpe Drive (available HERE), another request of the LCA. Unfortunately a summary of the Randolph Street / Balleratt Street proposals is still missing. The online Feedback Survey is still inconsistent with the proposals listed on the website or on the overview map but at least it is now possible to comment on more than two proposals. The Project Team refused to take comments or questions on any of the 14 trial blocks / filters in Levenshulme which have inexplicably been left out of the consultation.

Although the proposals were broadly welcomed by people commenting on the video call there was frustration that the proposals were disjointed and disconnected and opportunities had been missed. The Project Team said they would look at several locations where issues were raised although it seems we are unlikely to see any revised plans before the council starts implementing them if it secures funding.

Data, evidence, reports or analysis to support the proposals have still not been released and it seems unlikely that Manchester City Council or the Project Team will ever publish this information. The claim by the council from the outset that this would be an evidence based, data driven and community led flagship project ring slightly hollow if members of the community are not allowed to see any of this data or evidence.

We still think an extra four days for the consultation is insufficient to allow people to comment and engage fully when many people have still not received letters informing them the consultation is even happening, posters and hard copies of the plans have only just been made available (we don’t know where these are yet) and the online survey has been changed without informing anybody. All these corrections have been made almost three quarters of the way through the original consultation period. This means a possible six week consultation period is effectively only a consultation of two weeks at best with partially corrected information.

Wesley Evans, the Project Manager, announced the new deadline and summarised the process from this point at the end of the video call:

“Just to say I think we’ve heard loud and clear that the consultation should be extended. There were a few technical issues and what we would do is instead of closing on Monday 24th January we will try and now close it on Friday 28th January.
The reason we don’t want to extend it too much is we want to try to get this works completed really and to do so we’ve got a window of opportunity in order to obtain funding there’s a March 2023 deadline so the next step now is we’ll have the further consultation event next Thursday [20 January 2022] and we’ll close the consultation say the 28th January which give us then time to digest and there’s gonna be a lot of people with different views, different recommendations and we need to at least consider that really so there’s gonna be, er, we need to sit down and go through what people are making recommendations.
Then following on from that we’ll take what we call these outline designs and work on what’s called detailed designs so some of the designs may change but I don’t fundamentally see things changing significantly but there may be tweaks there could be some things we have missed and stuff so as I say we’ll work on what’s called detailed designs next.
Following on from that we move into procurement and then once we’ve got a contractor appointed that’s when we’ll look to start construction of the works. The only thing I would also like to highlight the trial say for Phase One was like an 18 month trial and that ceases I think, I can’t remember the exact date, right at the end of June so we may try to look to do some early work to make what we call the temporary filters permanent, erm, so it may be that we start early works on those to make them permanent and then following on from that hopefully not long after it starts to make the actual works permanent with what you’ve seen today how that evolves really so the next stage is very much we try to enter into detailed designs but like I say we will consider everything and try and do as much as we can.
Like what people say we all wish we had billions of pounds to do absolutely everything. Unfortunately we can’t but all we can do is do our best. We have tried to do our best from the word go but unfortunately we can’t do everything but like I say all I can say is we will consider everything and try and do as much as we can.”
Wesley evans, Active neighbourhood project manager, 13 January 2022

Call for Active Neighbourhood Consultation to be extended

Posted on January 12, 2022 by Jeremy Hoad

Levenshulme Community Association and Levenshulme Traders Association have jointly called for the current Active Neighbourhood consultation to be extended. There are multiple problems with the way the consultation is being run. We believe these problems must be corrected and then the consultation should be extended to allow proper community engagement.

The letter and concerns are reproduced below and have been sent on 11 January 2022 to: Levenshulme councillors (Zahid Hussain, Dzidra Noor and Basat Sheikh); Burnage councillors (Azra Ali, Ben Clay and Bev Craig who is also Manchester City Council Leader); Manchester City Council Executive member Tracey Rawlins; Andy Burnham (Greater Manchester Mayor); and local MPs Afzal Khan and Jeff Smith. Copied to the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood Project Team.

Continue reading →

Active Neighbourhood Consultation and Full Plans

Posted on December 17, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

Information released 17 December 2021
Updated with Grangethorpe Drive plan 14 January 2022
NEW DEADLINE for consultation 30 January 2022 (announced 14 January)

Manchester City Council has released the final plans for the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood today. A consultation is now open for the next six weeks.

The overview map is below. An interactive version that you can zoom in on is available HERE.

Scroll down to see ALL information published by the the council.

How can you comment on these proposals?

View the map and have your say

There will also be two engagement events held on:

13 January 6.30pm to 7.30pm
20 January 6.30pm to 7.30pm

If you would like to attend one of these events please email the council’s Project Team at levyburnageproject@manchester.gov.uk to register your interest. You will be sent details on how to join.

Continue reading →

Bulb Planting At Cringle Park

Posted on November 25, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

Join the Friends of Cringle to plant spring bulbs and be part of Levensbloom (weather permitting) 10.00-12.00 on 5th December.

Energy Switch Incentive From Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Posted on September 23, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

Greater Manchester Combined Authority has partnered with the Big Clean Switch energy comparison site to encourage switching to clean energy. This includes a £35 credit when you switch to one of the participating suppliers.

“Greater Manchester Combined Authority is committed to making the city a clean energy leader. We face major environmental challenges that threaten the health and prosperity of our region. Greater Manchester is taking action with the 5-Year Environment Plan, to be launched at the Green Summit. The plan sets out our long-term environmental vision – to be carbon neutral by 2038 – and the urgent actions we all need to take in the next 5 years to help achieve this.”
BIG CLEAN switch website

Andy Burnham (Greater Manchester Mayor) was promoting the scheme on BBC Radio Manchester today (23 September 2021). However, caution is advised as one of the suppliers used by the Big Clean Switch site – Bulb Energy – is currently in crisis talks with the government with reports that it has or will go bust very soon.

The Big Clean Switch website for this offer is available HERE

Please Note: Energy supplies in the UK are currently in a chaotic state with suppliers going bust and extreme volatility in the market. The LCA is sharing this for information only and this does not constitute advice or a recommendation in any way.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority says:

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is working with Big Clean Switch to offer residents £35 of free energy when they switch to a green tariff from some of the UK’s most trusted suppliers.

With many households across Greater Manchester facing rising bills due to more time spent at home, the scheme helps residents switch to low cost, high quality green energy tariffs.

Switching is simple:

Find a recent bill from your current supplier and fill your details in on the form (link opens in new tab).
You’ll be able to compare your current energy bill with how much you’ll spend with each of Big Clean Switch’s green suppliers*. Suppliers who are offering the £35 free energy with an account credit will show in the supplier list. If you choose a supplier that isn’t taking part, GMCA will receive £35 to help fund local environmental projects.
Once you’ve selected your preferred deal, just add in a few details to get your new energy account set up. Your £35 of free energy will be added to your new account within six weeks of the switch going live.

For more information on the scheme, email help@bigcleanswitch.org or call Big Clean Switch on 0800 249 4770.

Active Neighbourhood – Nothing Confirmed Yet

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

What’s Going On With Our Active Neighbourhood?

Councillors have confirmed the Active Neighbourhood scheme will have a new public consultation and nothing is confirmed yet.

A meeting attended by over 60 residents, including Levenshulme Community Association Secretary Jeremy Hoad, was at times tense but has brought some welcome clarity to the current status of the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood.

Levenshulme Councillors Basat Sheikh and Zahid Hussain attended a meeting organised by the One Levenshulme group on 20 September after the release of a statement from Manchester City Council that said:

“Following the end of this trial, and reviews of feedback, all 14 filters will be made permanent.“
Manchester City Council statement, 13 September 2021

Councillors say this statement by Manchester City Council about the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood scheme was made “out of context” and this is only a partial explanation of the current situation. The current road blocks / “modal filters” will only be made permanent if a full plan for the Active Neighbourhood is approved for implementation following a public consultation.

The next stage designs will provide a full plan for interventions well beyond the current trial of 14 road blocks / “modal filters” in Levenshulme. This is the first time our community will be provided with comprehensive proposals and and a plan for the Active Neighbourhood, three years after the project started. It is understood the plans will include measures for both Levenshulme and Burnage.

The statement went on to say that:

“This month [August 2021] the Highways Service presented the initial outline designs for the proposed next stage of the Active Travel Neighbourhood scheme to ward councillors in both areas. These were agreed in principle, with the plans also submitted to Transport for Greater Manchester for their review and comment.”
Manchester City Council statement, 13 September 2021

A New Public Consultation

The new plans will be released soon and go to a public consultation. Councillors did not provide details of the consultation but accepted that previous consultations and the scheme as a whole had been “…a complete mess from the beginning…” and that it had “…gone wrong…”. They stated they had been “…working behind the scenes…” to improve the plans and had rejected previous drafts before accepting the current proposals.

Councillor Hussain stated that so far the project had spent £800,000 and that the budget had been reduced for the whole scheme. The original budget was up to £700,000 for development work and to undertake a trial with a further £1.8m available dependent on a successful business case proposal to TfGM for full implementation.

When pressed by residents councillors clarified that if residents were not happy with all the proposals then the scheme would not go ahead and everything – including the current road blocks / “modal filters” – would be removed.

It was also stated by councillors that the road blocks / “modal filters” would not be retained or made permanent until or unless problems on all roads were addressed, something councillors had insisted on for the scheme to progress. No scheme would be approved before that. However, councillors were confident that the community would welcome the final plans when they saw the designs.

Where’s the Data?

Councillors were also asked “Where’s the data?” as the whole scheme was claimed to be evidence based and data driven as well as community led. Councillors explained that the filters had been left in place so that the project could gather more data after the trial had finished [in June 2021] as Covid19 restrictions were lifted. Monitoring, managed by Manchester Urban Observatory (based at the University of Manchester) had taken place throughout the trial. Doubts were raised by residents about how accurate, useful or comprehensive this data was as well as the placement of monitoring equipment.

What will the final plans look like?

More comprehensive, inclusive and balanced, it seems. Reference was made to traffic calming, chicanes, crossings, pavement improvements and speed tables (large raised flat areas on the road). These are the sorts of measures residents, businesses and community groups (including Levenshulme Community Association) have been calling for throughout the project.

Unfortunately the attitude previously of the Project Team (with Sustrans and Levenshulme Bee Network before they were removed from the project in 2020) was dismissive of this more balanced approach and focussed primarily on installing road blocks / “modal filters” to create a “Low Traffic Neighbourhood”.

Residents also raised concerns about a number of related issues: dangerous driving in the area which was getting worse; problems with HGVs; speeding; anti-social behaviour around the road blocks; ongoing issues with emergency services and problems for carers and other service providers needing to easily meet residents’ needs. These reflected concerns that had consistently been raised by the LCA, residents and businesses that the approach throughout the project had been limited and did not focus on solving the problems we faced as a community or prioritise the aims of the project to actually make our roads safer and encourage walking and cycling.

Councillors stressed that the scheme was “…not about cycling…” but about “…Active Travel, creating shared space and provision for walking, cycling and drivers getting around.”

What happens next?

The final Active Neighbourhood plans should be made public in the next few weeks. The council has already indicated there will be a public engagement meeting in late September / early October.

Serious concerns were raised about how the consultation would be run. Residents made clear that they were dissatisfied with previous consultation and engagement and councillors accepted this had not been done well. Residents at the meeting highlighted the exclusive, biased and insecure nature of the online Commonplace system and the limited and ineffective information available.

As yet it is unclear what changes will be made to the consultation process, when it will start or how long it will run for. It is also unclear how decisions will be made, what criteria will be used and what attempts will be made to ensure the whole community can get involved and have their voices heard effectively.

Councillors Sheikh and Hussain were thanked for their attendance at the meeting and it was made clear by residents that this ongoing discussion was very welcome. Thanks also to Mark at the Bluebell for hosting the meeting.

Levenshulme Community Association will continue to provide updates and announcements as they are available to enable residents and businesses to be fully involved in this next stage of what has so far been a frustrating and difficult experience for many people.

Active Neighbourhood Update & Community Engagement Event

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

The Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood Project Team are planning an event. The Project Team has stated today (9 September 2021):

“We are hoping to hold a community engagement event around Late September/ Early October, in which people can give their thoughts and feedback on the Active Neighbourhood plans in person.”

The intention of the meeting is to provide:

“…an opportunity to give thoughts and feedback on the existing filters and any future measures that may be put in place.“

No date or time has been set for the meeting / event yet.

It is intended to hold the event “for Levenshulme” at Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre on Stockport Road. This suggests the Project Team might hold a separate event for Burnage. If this is the case Levenshulme Community Association will promote both events.

After Manchester City Council took direct control of the project and removed Sustrans and Levenshulme Bee Network in 2020 the project was split into two – Phase 1 for Levenshulme and Phase 2 for Burnage. No clear explanation has ever been provided as to why the project was fragmented in this way and changed along political ward boundaries.

Councillors have previously stated that a final plan for the project would be released in September and then put out to consultation. The Project Team has stated any final plan would not be released until it had been signed off and agreed by local councillors and Transport for Greater Manchester. Whether this community engagement event in September or October is to consider a final plan or is an opportunity for general discussion is unclear.

Levy Walkers Community Walk

Posted on September 3, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

Community walk

Saturday 11th September 1pm

A stroll starting from the quadrant on Crayfield Road through Highfield Country Park along Fallowfield Brook (Houldsworth Golf Course) and back along the Loop

4.0km (estimated time 1hr – but we do love to pause and chat along the way!)

You can see the route and enlarge the map HERE

Community Allotment Cleanup

Posted on September 2, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

Levenshulme Community Allotment Cleanup organised by Leonard Cheshire.

10.00-16.00 on Friday 3 September

Further information:

samirkarnik.hinks@leonardcheshire.org
07760997804

In Our Nature Community Funding

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

Funding of up to £10,000 is available from In Our Nature. Information below.

Apply for up to £10k of grant funding & bring your community project to life!

Are you part of a Manchester based community, youth or voluntary group? Has your group got an innovative project idea to help your community come together to take positive action on the environment?

If the answer is yes – apply for a community project grant and bring your group’s ideas to life! You’ll be helping us on our mission to unlock the potential of households and communities to respond to the climate emergency.

What are we looking for? We are looking for projects that take an innovative, community-led approach to tackling a local environmental issue, which also delivers social and financial benefits to their local community.

Who can apply? We can award grants to a variety of non-profit and voluntary groups such as community groups, youth clubs, schools, resident and neighbourhood associations, community interest companies and social enterprises.

Successful groups will receive…

A grant of up to 10k to bring their project to life.
Opportunities to connect and share experiences with the other successful groups.
Access to wider support through the “In Our Nature” programme including:
Graphic design support
Guidance with evaluation and measuring impact
Guidance with applying for further funding
PR opportunities and support

Want to get started? Great news!

Check out our In Our Nature Community Grant page to read more and begin the application process.

Application deadline: 23:59 on 31st July.

Got a question about the grant process? Get in touch inournature@hubbub.org.uk.

Cringle Park & Fields Litter Pick

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

There will be a litter pick at Cringle Park and Field on Sunday. These happen on the first Sunday of every month 10-11.00. Meet at the stone circle. Bags are provided. Please bring your own litter picker and gloves if you have them.

Alma Park School Street Trial

Posted on June 21, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

The council is organising a trial of a “School Street” at Alma Park Primary School.

What is a School Street?

A “School Street” means roads are closed to traffic for a specific period to encourage parents and pupils to walk and cycle to school rather than be dropped off or picked up by car. Council staff and volunteers will manage the trial. Alma Park Primary is sending letters out to parents and will be informing the community as well. At the moment this is a one-off trial.

This information is subject to confirmation from Manchester City Council. We will provide further information once we have received the full details from the council.

When?

The trial will happen on Thursday 1st July from 14.00-16.00

Where?

Alma Park Primary School and surrounding streets

Which roads are likely to be closed to traffic? (to be confirmed)

Marshall Road at its junction with Albert Road
Forest Range at its junction with Albert Road
Errwood Road from its junction with Alma Road to its junction with Carson Road
Alma Road at the railway bridge
All roads leading onto Errwood Road such as Arliss Avenue and Preston Road will have restricted access through the above access points.

Where do I park if I need to use my car?

We understand an arrangement has been reached with Levenshulme Tesco to allow people to use the Tesco car park as a “Park & Stride” facility.

What about buses?

We understand arrangements will be made for any buses to be walked through the School Street by a marshall.

Volunteering

Manchester City Council is looking for volunteers to help make the trial happen. Around 20 people are required and training will be given to marshall the trial. The invitation to volunteer is available HERE.

Further information

For general information about School Streets see HERE

Recycle for Greater Manchester Community Fund

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

NEW Recycle for Greater Manchester Community Fund

Applications now open until 31st May 2021

Do you have an idea to help your community recycle, reduce or reuse? Apply for a grant of between £200 and £20,000 to get your green plans off the ground. The fund is a joint Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) and Suez initiative to support Greater Manchester’s Community and Voluntary sector.

Full details are available HERE

Do you have an idea for a project?

Now is the time for you to start thinking about how your organisation can help us improve waste and recycling in Greater Manchester.

The fund aims to support projects which prevent, reuse, or recycle household waste, and also reduce contamination, promote sustainable use of waste and resources, and generate wider social benefits for the communities of Greater Manchester. We want to encourage and support innovative projects that are novel and involve a new and untried approach to tackling an issue in the key waste areas. Your project will need to focus on at least one of these areas.

This year we will focus on these priority areas:

waste prevention
increasing recycling
reuse of household waste
reducing contamination

Your project will need to focus on one or more of these priority waste streams:

Food waste
Paper and card
Glass
Textiles
Furniture
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

When can I apply?

The Community Fund 2021-22 will be open for submission of applications from Thursday 1st April until 31st May 2021.

Who can apply?

Applications are welcome from Community and Voluntary Sector organisations such as:

Registered Charity (charity number must be provided)
Not-for-profit organisation (defined as a registered legal entity that does not make a private profit for directors, members, or shareholders)
Community, Neighbourhood or Voluntary Group
Faith group delivering community work
School, College or University

A walk-through application video from Greater Manchester Environment Fund can be found below.

The fund is supported through profits from the new ‘Renew’ reuse shops. The Renew shops will be opening spring 2021 and will be based at 3 household waste recycling centres:

Woodhouse Lane, Trafford
Boysnope Wharf in Salford
Arkwright St, Oldham

The shops will sell pre-owned items that have been donated by residents at Household Recycling Centres across Greater Manchester (excluding Wigan).

Friends of Cringle Park Survey

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Site Admin

The Friends of Cringle Park and Field are doing a survey:

“The Friends of Cringle Park and Field want to create a vision and a long term plan to improve the park. To be able to do this we want to find out who uses the park, why they use it, what they like about it and what they would like to change. All the information you give us will help us secure money to improve the park.This is the first of what will be an annual survey. Please share the survey link with friends and family as we would like as many individual people as possible to complete it. The survey has 13 questions and should only take 5 minutes to complete. Thank you very much!”

Start the survey HERE

Funding for Eco Streets

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

Design Your Own Eco-Street from Groundwork Greater Manchester gives communities the chance to win £6,000 funding to transform an unused area into a green space.

The Eco-Streets competition seeks to transform two un-used, un-loved areas in Greater Manchester into spaces that feature nature-based-solutions to climate change. Each design will receive £6,000 in funding and support from Groundwork’s Community Enablers to transform their spaces in 2021.

With support from Groundwork, Eco-Streets will equip communities with the skills to design, install and maintain natural features to create vibrant, green community spaces to benefit people while tackling climate change.  

Further information including eligibility and how to register interest is available HERE

Image from Groundwork Greater Manchester

Levenshulme Community Directory

Posted on March 7, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

Over the past year Levenshulme Community Association has developed the Levenshulme Community Directory. This LCA project, developed and led by LCA Secretary Jeremy Hoad, is a resource for our community and promotes Levenshulme to the wider world.

The Community Directory shares information, supports community cohesion and links people together as well as supporting several key aims identified in the Levenshulme Community Manifesto.

The Directory provides listings organised into five themed sections as well as a complete A-Z page:

The Community Directory is a “live” resource and always open to additions and improvements. If you have anything you think should or could be added then please get in touch.

Chapel Street Park Funding Bid

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

UPDATE: The group won and has secured £5,000 funding for their proposals in Chapel Street Park.

A new local group, Friends of Chapel Street Park are in the running for a £5,000 grant to make improvements to the park. Their proposal is:

“Chapel Street Park is the oldest park in Levenshulme, near Manchester, and is a green space surrounded by terraced housing and flats, most of which don’t have gardens of their own. The local Friends of the Park group have grand plans for the former bowling green that’s in desperate need of some restoration, and they aim to transform the space into a sunshine-inspired community garden with areas dedicated to vegetable growing, wildlife and wellbeing.”
Friends of Chapel Street Park Higgidy funding bid

Three grants of £5,000 are being made by the Higgidy Family Kitchen company. The winners will be announced on 25 January 2021.

You can view all ten shortlisted projects and vote for your favourite HERE

EDIT: Click HERE to see the Manchester Evening News article on the Friends of Chapel Street Park proposals.

Higgidy Winners Announcement

“We’d like to say a huge congratulations to Brighton Women’s Refuge, Chapel Street Park and the Little Growers Club who are our three lucky #SeedsofJoy competition winners!
These projects have won £5000 each to go towards their beautiful community veg garden projects. Alongside this, they’ll receive a special consultation with @francestophill to get them going on their project.Thank you to everyone who has entered and supported this competition, we hope that you’ll all continue growing veggies and reaping the benefits that community gardens have to offer.”

Action on Dangerous Planters

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

Large wooden planters were installed on 14 roads across Levenshulme on Monday 4 January as part of the council’s Active Neighbourhood scheme for Levenshulme and Burnage.

Currently the planters pose a significant danger as there are no signs on them and no reflective hazard strips. They are particularly dangerous when it gets dark as well as when people come across them unexpectedly on the roads. No road signs are in place to warn of changes to the road layout either. Unfortunately some planters have also been moved and modifications have been made to block pavements to prevent vehicles driving around the planters.

LCA Secretary Jeremy Hoad has been in touch with councillors to highlight these problems and the LCA can confirm that:

Warning signs will be added to the planters starting on Wednesday 5 January to be completed by Friday 7 January at the latest;
Street signs will be installed to notify road users of the change to road layout and restricted access;
Additional measures will be put in place to make the planters more secure, possibly by adding brackets and bolting them to the ground or linking them together.
New bollards will be installed on pavements either side of the planters to prevent vehicles driving around the planters.

This is very welcome news and will make the planters more effective and safe during this six month trial.

How to give feedback

A formal consultation is now active. If you wish to comment you can use the project website HERE.

You can also email the Project Team: levyburnageproject@manchester.gov.uk (please note that this email address is currently not working but the council is aware of this and looking into it)

If you wish to lodge an objection (quoting reference L/GS/EVD2001/1887) you can email the council here: phlegal@manchester.gov.uk

or write to the council:

Fiona Ledden, City Solicitor PO Box 532, Town Hall, Manchester, M60 2LA

Active Neighbourhood Trials Announced

Posted on January 3, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

Active Neighbourhood will start very soon

The formal notification of the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood has been published. You can view the announcement HERE or read the text below. The notice was dated 18 December 2020 and states it will come into force on 26 December 2020.

Phase 1 of the scheme will install 14 road blocks / “modal filters” for at least six months across Levenshulme. The council has said that a further five road blocks / “modal filters” might be added during the trial but this has not been confirmed yet.

The council had originally said the trial measures would be installed from 4-8 January 2021 but now says “early January”.

A consultation on measures for Phase 2 (covering parts of Burnage Ward) is still live. You can take part and submit comments HERE or by emailing the council directly <levyburnageproject@manchester.gov.uk>. This consultation closes on 21 January 2021.

Where are the road blocks / “modal filters” going?

The 14 filters which will be installed on a trial basis early in the New Year are at:

Buckhurst Road
Cardus Street (North)
Delamere Road and Gordon Avenue
Dorset Road
Caremine Avenue
Guildford Road
Henderson Street
Longden Road
Manor Road (East)
Mayford Road
Molyneux Road
Osborne Road
Portville Road and Randolph Street
Victoria Road

Unfortunately the council has not provided any detailed plans of where these road blocks / “modal filters” will be located or whether parking spaces will need to be removed to allow vehicles accessing these roads to turn around despite repeated requests for greater clarity and detail.

Five more proposed filters are being paused until an assessment can be made of what their impact would be on surrounding residential streets, but could still form part of the phase 1 trial, with alternative solutions to be considered as part of the wider scheme development. These are at Chapel Street (East), Crayfield Road, Dunstable Street, Manor Road (West) and Marley Road.

Public Announcement Text

Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984

Notice is hereby given that on the 11th December 2020 Manchester City Council made the following Orders under Sections 9 and 10 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The Orders, which will be introduced on an experimental basis for a period of up to 18 months are as follows:- City of Manchester (Various Roads, Levenshulme) (Prohibition of Driving Except Cycles And Revocation) (Experimental) Order 2020

The effect of the Order will be to introduce the following:

Experimental Prohibition Of Driving (Except Cycles) on –

Buckhurst Rd – both sides from its junction with Albert Road in a northerly direction for a distance of 3 metres.

Cardus St – both sides from its junction with Cromwell Grove in a northerly direction for a distance of 3 metres.

Caremine Ave – both sides from a point 10 metres west of its junction with Lonsdale Road in a westerly direction for a distance of 3 metres.

Dorset Rd – both sides from its junction with Fairbourne Road in a westerly direction for a distance of 3 metres.

Gordon Ave – Gordon Avenue/Delamere Road junction, from the north east corner of the junction to the south west corner with a minimum width of 2 metres.

Guildford Rd – both sides from a point 2 metres south west of its junction with Norley Drive in a south westerly direction for a distance of 3 metres.

Henderson St – both sides from a point 32 metres north west of its junction with Nall Street in a north westerly direction for a distance of 3 metres.

Longden Rd – both sides from its junction with Stovell Avenue in an easterly direction for a distance of 2 metres.

Manor Rd – both sides from a point 80 metres east of its junction Audley Road in an easterly direction for a distance of 3 metres.

Mayford Rd – both sides from a its junction with Stockport Road in an easterly direction for a distance of 3 metres.

Molyneux Rd – both sides from its junction with Cumbrae Road in a southerly direction for a distance of 2 metres.

Osborne Rd – both sides from its junction with Slade Lane in a north easterly direction for a distance of 5 metres.

Randolph St – both sides from a point 13.5 metres south of its junction with Mayford Road in a southerly direction for a distance of 3 metres.

Victoria Rd – both sides from its junction with Albert Road in a north westerly direction for a distance of 3 metres.

City of Manchester (Cardus Street, Manchester) (Experimental Revocation of One Way Traffic) Order 2020 The above Order is revoked in its entirety.

The Orders shall come into operation on 26th December 2020.

A copy of the Orders, together with the plans showing the roads to which they relate and a Statement of the Council’s Reasons for making the Orders may be inspected at Customer Service Centre Ground Floor, Town Hall Extension M60 2LA (for Sat. Nav. use M2 5DB) between the hours of 9.00am and 4.30pm on Monday to Friday inclusive for a period of 6 months until 26th June 2021. Due to Covid 19 restrictions please ensure that the Contact Centre is open before attending. If it is closed or you are unable to attend, a copy of the plan may be requested (without payment) by emailing phlegal@manchester.gov.uk or writing to the address at the end of this notice.

The City Council will be considering in due course whether the provisions of the Order should be continued in force indefinitely. Within a period of six months from the coming into force of the Order or if the Order is subsequently varied or amended from the coming into force of the variation or modification (whichever is the latter) any person may object to the indefinite continuation of the provisions of the Orders.

Any person wishing to object should submit their grounds of objection in writing to phlegal@manchester.gov.uk or the address below no later than 26th June 2021 quoting reference L/GS/EVD2001/1887.

Any person who wishes to question the validity of the Orders or of any provision contained in it on the grounds that they are not within the powers conferred by the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 or on the grounds that any requirement of that Act or of any instrument made under it have not been complied with in relation to the Order may within six weeks from 11th December 2020 apply to the High Court for such purpose.

Signed: Fiona Ledden, City Solicitor PO Box 532, Town Hall, Manchester, M60 2LA

Dated: 18th December 2020

TM REF: 226043115-01

Active Neighbourhood Delays

Posted on December 12, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

It looks like the start of the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood trial has been delayed (although it is possible we have missed the formal announcement).

The council would have had to issue formal notification of the Phase 1 road blocks / “modal filters” trial today at the latest if it was to start on 19 December as previously announced. However, there is no notice in the “public notices” section of the MEN. The council’s website also makes no mention of the trial starting on 19 December and the project website also has no announcements or updates.

In fact, reference to the Phase 1 trial start date has been removed from the council’s website which now says “The trial measures will start to be put in place from December (during school holidays).” So the trial is still planned to start in December but it doesn’t look like that will happen on 19 December.

The phrasing on the council’s website also suggests all elements of the trial will not be installed at the same time. This might have something to do with the proposed road works at the end of Broom Lane and Chapel Street where those roads meet the A6 that are part of the plans released in September 2020. These haven’t even started yet. Without those changes all residents and businesses in the blocked off area off Chapel Street would have to access their properties via Elbow Street. If the trial measures are installed in phases that would also suggest the trial will run for longer than the original six months as all measures must be trialled for a minimum of six months.

So we have more waiting with a continued lack of information. It isn’t even clear today – the legal deadline for announcing the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order to commence on 19 December – when the council might even start to install the trial measures, how long the trial measures will take to install fully, where specifically there are to be located on the roads, how turning points and access will be facilitated, whether emergency services have approved any plans yet or even what will be included in the plans as they might change from the revised plans announced in September. Or they might not.

Phase 2 (Burnage)

At the moment we also do not know how and plans for Phase 2 covering Burnage Ward will be decided on or trialled. There is an ongoing consultation on Phase 2 until 21 December 2020.

We understand an online consultation event was planned for Crossley Road and Grangethorpe Drive although no details were provided when requested.

Monitoring and data gathering

Additional traffic and air quality equipment is also planned for some of the busier “through routes” but this might not be installed until next year. We will provide further updates once any changes or additions are confirmed. This monitoring is being done by Manchester Urban Observatory at the University of Manchester and started earlier this summer. Unfortunately this means there may not be any substantive pre-trial data for comparison with the trial data once the road blocks / “modal filters” are installed for our busiest roads.

The Active Neighbourhood project itself has not installed any traffic or air quality monitoring equipment in the almost two years the project has been running despite previous claims this was being done in the summer of 2019. Information on the Manchester Urban Observatory monitoring was previously reported by the LCA HERE and the data is freely available on the MUO website HERE.

Further consultation

The Active Neighbourhood project has confirmed its intention to hold further consultation events online with businesses and what it identifies as “the BAME community”. This was announced at the online events at the end of October 2020. So far not dates have been confirmed for these events but we will provide information as and when they are confirmed. The second stage consultation on the revised plans announced in September ended on 4 November 2020.

The further delays and lack of information is, to say the least, disappointing.

Clarification on road works near schools

For clarification please note that the roadworks being undertaken on Barlow Road at the back of Chapel Street Primary School, the previous work done on Broom Lane to install traffic calming and the work done around Alma Park Primary School has nothing to do with the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood project. This work is part of a separate initiative for safer streets around schools. A previous LCA article about this is available HERE.

Active Neighbourhood Business Consultation

Posted on December 5, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Business engagement and consultation

Please see below a message from Cath Keane, Neighbourhood Liaison Manager at the MCC Highways Service and part of the Active Neighbourhood team, regarding an event for local businesses. This is welcome and follows up on a previous commitment for further engagement.

Please draw this to the attention of any businesses in the area so they can take part.

Manchester City Council held formal consultation around a scheme to make walking and cycling easier and safer in Levenshulme. We also held a number of face to face on line events which allowed people to have their say on the suggested measures. These events were well attended and gave around 170 people the chance to have their say, while more than 3,500 others have responded through our website.
However, we felt that people attending these on line events did not fully represent all of the business community in Levenshulme, and for this reason, we are reaching out to offer an additional event to ensure local businesses are aware of the scheme and have the chance to have their say.
Although the formal consultation end date has passed, we are still keen to receive feedback for the next six months as this will inform any final, permanent measures which could be implemented.
If you or representatives from your organisations would be interested in attending an on line event about the trial in Levenshulme, please email levyburnageproject@manchester.gov.uk.
If you would find it useful to have an interpreter at the on line event, please let us know and we can arrange it.
The event date will be confirmed in the near future and we will send details to everyone who has emailed us to request an invite. To join the meeting, you will need a laptop or smart phone . A link will be sent which you can click and join.
Please use the levyburnageproject@manchester.gov.uk email address if you have any other queries concerning this scheme. Further information about Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhoods scheme is also availabe on our website at www.manchester.gov.uk
We look forward to hearing from you.
Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood Business Engagement Event

The Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood website is available HERE

Free Online Energy Advice Event

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

This year a lot of people have been hit hard financially, and many will struggle to afford to keep their homes warm over winter. To help, a team at the University of Manchester have put together a webpage with free advice on reducing energy costs and keeping homes warm: www.step-in-project.eu/online-energy-cafe- manchester/

CHAT WITH QUALIFIED ENERGY ADVISORS

If you visit the webpage anytime between 10am-12 noon on 7th December, or between 2pm-4pm on 10th December, you can use an instant messaging service to speak anonymously with qualified Energy Advisors from Groundwork, an independent, not-for-profit organisation in Greater Manchester. They can answer your questions and provide free advice about keeping warm, reducing energy costs, and accessing financial support.

More information and advice including videos is available on the website.

Online Energy Advice Event

Active Neighbourhood Project Online Meetings

Posted on October 23, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Manchester City Council is planning three online events (via Microsoft Teams) to hear your ideas about Levenshulme & Burnage Active Neighbourhood Project plans. The project proposes a trial of 25 road blocks / “modal filters” all around Levenshulme starting on 19 December 2020 and running for six months.

There are other possible elements to the project that have not been confirmed yet but the trial will only be for the road blocks / “modal filters”.

Three dates have been arranged for the public meeting, which will take place on:

Monday 26 October 2020 from 6 pm – 7 pm
Thursday 29 October 2020 from 6 pm – 7 pm
Monday 2 November 2020 from 6 pm – 7 pm.

To take part, please register your details via: levyburnageproject@manchester.gov.uk stating your preferred date and time.

Further information is available on the Project Website and on the LCA website HERE (including documents not available on the project website).

Manchester City Council and the Project Team has only announced these online events via Twitter. There is no information on either the council’s own website or the Project website.

The deadline for commenting on the Active Neighbourhood plans has been extended to Wednesday 4 November 2020.

Active Neighbourhood Update: Documents, Deadlines & Feedback

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

The LCA has requested all publicity material for the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood Project including in different languages. All material that is currently available can be downloaded below as PDF documents. There are instructions here on how to comment on the plans online, by email and by written questionnaire including deadlines that have now changed.

Be aware that all the maps in the printed materials are different and the deadline for comment has been extended by a week because of a mistake in the printed materials that have been distributed.

As of today (16 October 2020) only the questionnaire leaflet is available in any language apart from English. That language is Romanian.

UPDATE: Urdu version of the questionnaire leaflet added on 23 October 2020

UPDATE: Bengali version of the questionnaire leaflet added on 22 October 2020

UPDATE: Arabic version of questionnaire leaflet added on 19 October 2020.

Continue reading →

Active Neighbourhood Feedback Deadline Extended

Posted on October 15, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

The Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood deadline for feedback and comment has been extended to Wednesday 4th November 2020.

You can find out more about what the plans are and how to give feedback HERE.

Many people in our community still haven’t received notification of these plans. The LCA had written to the Project Team requesting an extension to the deadline so an extra week is helpful although we still don’t think that is sufficient. In the meantime you can download the booklet and poster by following the link above.

We have also requested a PDF copy of the Active Neighbourhood questionnaire form to make available to people but so far this has been refused and we have been told people must go to either Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre or Burnage Library to collect a paper copy of the booklets and forms. Publicity material has also been requested in other languages for distribution but so far this has not been provided and does not seem to be available yet.

Online Environment Course

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Are you aged 18+ and live in the Central Manchester area?*
Are you interested in where you live, your community & the environment?
Do you want to lead a community project but don’t know where to start?

Why not apply to be part of a new, unique & free online programme:

Caring for the Environment Together

This is a great opportunity to get more involved in your local area to help bring about positive change, increase your skills and knowledge and develop new local connections.

More information is on the flyer below. Any questions, please do not hesitate to contact either Chris, Claire or Liam (contact details on the flyer).

The deadline for applications is midday on Friday 16 October. I appreciate this maybe short notice, but the good news is that the application process is a very straightforward process.

Further details including the link to apply: https://amitycic.com/cet

Applications are invited from people living in the following areas: Ardwick, Hulme, Longsight, Levenshulme, Gorton & Abbey Hey, Rusholme, Moss Side, Deansgate, Piccadilly

ECL-Leaflet-Amity Download

Active Neighbourhood Booklet, Poster and Feedback

Posted on October 9, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Manchester City Council has now released an information booklet and poster on the revised plans for the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood project. You can download PDFs of both below.

You can also request paper copies of the booklet and information in other languages by emailing: levyburnageproject@manchester.gov.uk Copies will be made available in the Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre and hopefully at other locations in the area (to be confirmed).

The website for feedback is available HERE. Comments must be received by Wednesday 28 October 2020.

Letters have been sent to schools this week and should be received by all residents and businesses across the project area in Levenshulme and Burnage next week. This will allow about two weeks to comment on all four response areas and the 25 proposed individual road blocks / “modal filters”.

The MCC website currently says:

Comments on the trial (Phase 1) area will need to reach us by 28 October to be accepted, but all feedback given during the trial period (19 December 2020 to19 June 2021) will be reviewed before any final decisions are made. Feedback on problem areas and what the issues are in Cringle Park (Phase 2) are also welcomed, and can influence the trial, which is currently due to start early in 2021. These will need to be received by 21 December 2020.
MCC LBAN feedback dates

NOTE: Information on the council’s website has been changing every few days in the past two weeks probably partly due to the project losing its second Project Manager after the new plans were released on Monday 02 October. The LCA will continue to monitor whatever is released and make sense of the process.

We will also request an extension to the feedback deadline as two weeks seems unreasonably short period for people to understand the complex proposals and comment on the scheme especially as no formal notification of the engagement process and new plans has been sent to residents or businesses yet.

LBAN-poster-091020 Download

LBAN-booklet-091020 Download

New Active Neighbourhood Plans released

Posted on September 29, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

The revised plans for the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood have been released. Full information is available on the new website HERE.

The project has now been split into two with Phase 1 covering Levenshulme and Phase 2 covering Burnage. A trial of road blocks / “modal filters” will start in December 2020 and last for a minimum of six months.

Note that a “modal filter” is the name given to something that blocks the road to vehicular traffic but still allows access through for pedestrians and cyclists (and presumably mopeds and motorbikes).

Manchester City Council says:

We now have a plan for the future direction of the project, and have decided to tackle it in two phases. We would like your feedback on some of the measures which we are going to trial (Phase 1). The trial measures will start to be put in place from December (during school holidays).This is also a great way for the scheme to be seen in action, tested and analysed, so it can be tweaked or changed where required but also allow peoples habits to change and through traffic to re-route.
Because of the density of schools in the Cringle Park (Phase 2) area, and issues with traffic congestion, we are continuing to seek opinions from local residents, businesses and schools on what measures are needed and where before they are trialled.
We hope to commence the trial in the Festive season break in December and will last a minimum of 6 months. The final designs for the Active neighbourhood will be drawn up based on the results of the consultation and implemented within 18 months should the funding application be successful.
MCC Active Neighbourhood Plans

The Phase 1 trial area excludes Burnage. No date has been suggested yet for Phase 2 in Burnage. The Phase 1 / Phase 2 split has been done based on political Wards, not the Park Area cells the Project has identified which is why the Henderson Street road block / “modal filter” is included in Phase 1.

The Levenshulme Phase 1 trial identifies 25 road blocks / “modal filters” outlined on the map below. The revised plans are not very different to the original plans. We will look at them in detail and post further information once we have worked out what differences there are.

The Phase 1 trial is still primarily for road blocks / “modal filters”. The council is also asking for feedback on where temporary crossings and traffic calming could be located as part of its Phase 1 consultation. The council says:

The trial includes a number of temporary crossing points and traffic calming measures to provide immediate benefits on routes that have been raised through previous consultation. [ * ]
We understand from previous feedback that traffic volume and speeds make certain streets hard to cross. We’d like you to tell us where you feel crossing points or traffic calming may help day to day life and make getting around safer and easier.
Further community feedback on the locations of these is welcomed, so that a final Trial Plan can be developed. The trial plan has a degree of flexibility once live, but we need to allow the trial to bed in to understand how habits change and the trial is being used.
MCC Active Neighbourhood crossings and traffic calming

[ * NOTE: there is no evidence of this on the map for the Phase 1 trial]

Give your feedback

Phase 1 feedback (Levenshulme) can only be made by responding to the 25 locations identified by the council. You can, however, drop a pin on the map for the Phase 2 feedback (Burnage) to identify a location and comment where you think an intervention could or should be located.

Phase 1 (Levenshulme)

You can comment HERE on the proposed road blocks / “modal filters”.

You can comment HERE on where you think crossings and traffic calming should go.

You can comment HERE on the whole scheme.

Phase 2 (Burnage)

You can comment HERE on what measures you think should be included in Phase 2.

How has the Project Changed?

There are a number of differences between the May proposals and the new proposals released in September. A summary is provided here for reference.

Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood Project v1 and v2 Comparison

( RB/MF = Road Block / “Modal Filter” )

	Version 1May 2020	Version 2 Sept 2020	v2 Map ref.	Changes
Green Bank Park Area
Longden Road	RB/MF	RB/MF	1	Same as v1
Armitage Avenue	RB/MF	RB/MF	2	Same as v1
Mayford Road	RB/MF	RB/MF	3	Same as v1
Guildford Road / Audley Road	RB/MF (Diagonal)	RB/MF	4	Moved along Guildford Road and now a standard RB/MF
Stovell Avenue / Northmoor Road	Bus Gate			Bus Gate removed
Manor Road 1 (between Barlow Road and Rushmere Avenue)	RB/MF	RB/MF	5	Same as v1
Manor Road 2		RB/MF	6	Moved to where a new crossing was proposed originally
Caremine Avenue		RB/MF	7	EXTRA RB/MF
Portville Road	RB/MF	RB/MF	8	Same as v1
Dunstable Street	RB/MF	RB/MF	9	Same as v1
Barlow Road	RB/MF	RB/MF	10	Same as v1
Cardus Street (North)		RB/MF	11	EXTRA RB/MF and road changed to two-way traffic
Chapel Street Park Area
Cardus Street (South)		RB/MF	12	Same as v1
Chapel Street (West)	RB/MF	RB/MF	13	Same as v1
Chapel Street (East)	RB/MF	RB/MF	14	Same as v1
Chapel Street / Stockport Road junction				Changed to two-way traffic
Atlas Place	RB/MF	RB/MF	15	Same as v1
Delamere Road (West)	RB/MF	RB/MF	16	Same as v1 with road changed from one-way to two-way traffic
Delamere Road / Gordon Avenue	RB/MF (Diagonal)	RB/MF	17	Same as v1
Crayfield Road	RB/MF	RB/MF	18	Same as v1
Marley Road	RB/MF	RB/MF	19	Same as v1
Dorset Road	RB/MF	RB/MF	20	Same as v1
Molyneux Road	RB/MF	RB/MF	21	Same as v1
Broom Lane / Stockport Road junction				Changed to allow left and right turning
Cromwell Grove / Stockport Road junction				Changed to allow left and right turning
West Point Gardens Area
Osborne Road	RB/MF	RB/MF	22	Same as v1
Victoria Road	RB/MF (Diagonal)	RB/MF	23	Changed from diagonal RB/MF to standard and moved to junction with Albert Road
Buckhurst Road	RB/MF	RB/MF	24	Same as v1
Green Drive	RB/MF			RB/MF removed (private road)
Lytham Road	RB/MF			RB/MF removed and road left as it is now
Cringle Park Area (Burnage)
Fortuna Grove / Monica Grove	RB/MF (Diagonal)			Further consultation
Burnage Hall Road	RB/MF			Further consultation
Slade Lane (near Linden Park)	Bus Gate			Further consultation
Errwood Road (near Alma Park Primary)	Bus Gate			Further consultation
Clare Road	RB/MF			Further consultation
Alma Road	RB/MF			Further consultation
Henderson Street	RB/MF	RB/MF	25	Same as v1

L&B Active Neighbourhood Version Comparison (May plan v1 / September Plan v2)

Levenshulme & Burnage Active Neighbourhood Phase 1 Map

You can view the map online HERE or download a PDF version below.

LBAN-Phase-1-Trial-Map-v2 Download

GM Road Charging Clean Air Plan

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Government has directed Greater Manchester to introduce a ‘category C’ charging Clean Air Zone. This would cover local roads across the whole of Greater Manchester from spring 2022, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The intention is to to bring nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) levels on local roads within legal limits as soon as possible.

The proposed Clean Air Zone aims to:

Bring NO₂ emissions within legal limits as soon as possible and by 2024 at the latest.
Discourage polluting commercial vehicles from travelling on local roads in Greater Manchester.
Encourage businesses to switch to cleaner, low- or zero-emission vehicles.

The proposed Zone would cover all local roads across Greater Manchester. It would not include motorways and some main trunk roads managed by Highways England. The exact boundary is being developed by looking in detail at the local road network and using public feedback. See the Greater Manchester boundary, and the stretches of roads which have been identified as breaching legal NO₂ limits without action, on our MappingGM page.

The most polluting commercial vehicles would pay a daily charge to travel on local roads in the Zone. Private cars, motorbikes and mopeds would not be charged. The Zone would be enforced by a network of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.

The following are proposed daily charges for the non-compliant commercial vehicles:

Buses, coaches and Heavy Good Vehicles (HGV) – £60 (from spring 2022)
Taxis and private hire vehicles – £7.50 (from spring 2022)
Light Goods Vehicles (LGV) such as vans and minibuses – £10 (temporary exemption until 2023)

If the daily charge for a non-compliant vehicle isn’t paid, a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of £120 would be issued, in addition to the unpaid daily charge.

The 10 Greater Manchester local authorities have worked together to consider a wide range of measures to tackle air pollution, alongside a Clean Air Zone. Together, these form the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan.

The costs of introducing a Clean Air Zone are covered by government.

Further information including proposed charges are available HERE.

An eight week consultation will be launched in October 2020.

“Our Future Manchester” Council Survey

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Manchester City Council is half way through its ten year strategy for the city. It is now doing a survey about priorities at the half way point. You can go direct to the survey (deadline 23rd September 2020) HERE.

The questions in the survey are weighted towards prioritising issues that have already been determined but there is also opportunity to comment.

The Council’s description / introduction to the survey is below for reference or can be viewed HERE.

The current version of the “Manchester Strategy” is available HERE. The existing priorities state that the city needs to be:

Thriving — creating great jobs and healthy businesses that our people benefit from.
Filled with talent – homegrown in all our local communities as well as the world’s best.
Fair — with equal chances for all to unlock their potential, no matter where in our city they were born, or where they live.
A great place to live — with loads to do, leading the way to a low-carbon future that creates new opportunities for our residents
Buzzing with connections — world-class transport and brilliant broadband that put all Mancunians in touch with chances to get ahead.

The Council says:

“The challenge to now include everyone in this successful future is bigger than ever. But Manchester is determined to do it. We’ve seen, through the COVID spring of 2020, what coming together in new ways, and doing things differently, can achieve.
Help to reset Manchester’s ambition to be the place where everyone can be everything they want to be. Take the survey, tell us your priorities, share your ideas and let us know how you can play your part in moving Our Manchester on.”
Manchester City Council Strategy Survey

Continue reading →

Manchester Urban Observatory Data For Our Active Neighbourhood

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Levenshulme Community Association is grateful to Manchester Urban Observatory for this article following contact with Dr Jen O’Brien and Prof. James Evans. We will continue to provide information and updates as they become available to help everyone understand the Active Neighbourhood proposals and be involved in the process to get the best we can for our community. This fits with several of the aims of the Levenshulme Community Manifesto.

Manchester Urban Observatory and the Levenshulme Active Neighbourhood – improving decision making with data

The Manchester Urban Observatory is part of a network of 6 Urban Observatories across England which are developing a new approach to the monitoring and understanding of cities. Our goal is to ensure future decision making is informed by a detailed appreciation of the consequences and complexity of urbanisation. The Manchester Urban Observatory is based at the University of Manchester, bringing together expertise from across the humanities, environmental sciences and health. Our role is to work with local partners to support the better planning and delivery of urban development. We operate entirely independent, with our funding secured through the UK Collaboratorium on Infrastructure and Cities.

Continue reading →

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Advice from Manchester City Council

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What’s Going On With Our Active Neighbourhood?

A New Public Consultation

Where’s the Data?

What will the final plans look like?

What happens next?

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Do you have an idea for a project?

When can I apply?

Who can apply?

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The Friends of Cringle Park and Field are doing a survey:

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