St Peter’s Church West Window Repairs

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

The West Window of St Peter’s Church that faces onto Stockport Road is to be restored.

The congregation of St Peter’s is delighted to announce that, following fundraising from within the congregation, grant awards and with the support of the community, this project is now going ahead. Work began on 1^st February 2021 on the West Window of the Church, which due to age and weathering is in need of repair and restoration. The project is costly and has been made possible with a large grant from Viridor Credits Environmental Company, smaller grants from the All Churches Trust and The Duchy of Lancaster and generous giving from individuals.

The building can now be made weather proof for the continued use by the congregation and their community support initiatives as well as a resource for the community. Following the restoration of the Lych-gate in 2018 in time for the First World War Centenary, St Peter’s hopes this project will enhance the view from the A6 and the visual environment of Levenshulme.

George Reeves, Rector of Levenshulme said:

“St Peter’s church is an iconic building in the heart of Levenshulme. As well as a treasured place of worship, its work in the community is secured by the renovation of the big West Window, generously funded by Viridor Credits, other grant makers and members of the congregation of St Peter’s.”

The full press release can be read HERE

A New Look For The New Levenshulme

Posted on February 7, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

The new Levenshulme Pub has a fantastic new look. Colin Campbell and Chris Thompson who run the pub have been working hard during lockdown to refurbish it. On 6 February the makeover came to the front in style with a huge rainbow flag across the full width of the building closely followed by a live streaming of entertainment by Jordan William Smart.

“The new Levenshulme is an LGBT+ friendly venue where everyone is welcome. This is the place where you’re safe. This is the place where you’re entertained. We have worked hard during lockdowns to create a new business concept. We hope you all like it.”
Colin Campbell, The Levenshulme

This new look for the new Levenshulme coincides with Greater Manchester Hate Crime Awareness Week (1-7 February 2021) which aims to raise awareness of hate crimes and increase reporting of incidents. This is particularly relevant following a hate incident against a gay man in Levenshulme last week. This does not reflect the wonderful, diverse and supportive community in Levenshulme but shows we must all be vigilant and stand together against hate of all kinds.

Levenshulme is also home to the largest independent local Pride in Manchester outside the city centre which was itself started after a homophobic hate incident. Levenshulme Pride will be held this year 13-15 August 2021, covid restrictions permitting.

The New Levenshulme is on Stockport Road beside the Antiques Village.

959 Stockport Road, Manchester, M19 3NP Tel. 0161 2242629

Photographs courtesy of Jeremy Hoad

Census 2021 LCA partnership with the ONS

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

Levenshulme Community Association is partnering with the Office for National Statistics to provide information and advice on the census that will take place on Sunday 21 March 2021.

We have created a dedicated page for the census that will have information and advice added to it to help everyone understand the census and why it is important. You can view the page HERE or click on the link in the menu at the top of the LCA website.

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.”

New Lidl Store Consultation Closes Today

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

Lidl are proposing to build a new supermarket on the Fallowfield Retail Park on Birchdfields Road near the roundabouts at the top of Kingsway.

The plans would mean demolishing all buildings on the right hand side of the entrance road apart from the Hawthorne Medical Practice and replacing them with a new Lidl store which is anticipated to create around 40 jobs.

You can read the MEN article about the plans HERE. Please note the phone number given at the end of this article is incorrect.

You can comment on the proposals HERE.

The consultation ends on Friday 15 January 2021.

Fallowfield Retail Park Lidl Store Plans, (image courtesy of Lidl GB)

Food Cycle Free Meals At Inspire

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

New Free Meal Service

Food Cycle has launched a free cook and collect service at Levenshulme Inspire on Stockport Road.

The Cook and Collect takeaway service launched on Thursday 14th January. If you would like a free, nutritious cooked meal, you can go and collect one every Thursday between 7:30pm – 8:30pm.

How to Volunteer

You can also volunteer to help. There are opportunities for people to cook, host guests and be involved in collecting the surplus food donations from local suppliers.

“You don’t need to have any previous cooking experience, although if you do that is just as welcome! We want as many local volunteers as possible and everyone is welcome to be a part of FoodCycle Manchester.”

New Covid19 Vaccination Centre At The Jain Centre and Volunteer Opportunities

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

The Jain Centre (667/669 Stockport Road, Manchester, M12 4QE, beside Crowcroft Park) is scheduled to open as a covid19 vaccination centre on Saturday 16 January 2021.

If you are eligible for a vaccination at this point you will be contacted by your GP and will be invited to attend one of 7 sites across the city to receive the vaccine – most likely the one closest to where you live.

Information on how to volunteer as a covid19 marshall at the new covid19 vaccination centres is provided below.

Volunteering: Manchester’s Covid-19 Vaccination Programme

Manchester Community Central (Macc) and Volunteer Centre Manchester are supporting Manchester Health and Care Commissioning (MHCC) with its recruitment to support Manchester’s Covid-19 vaccination programme at community-based sites across the city.

How to get involved

At present, the majority of vaccination sites urgently need *Volunteer Marshals to safely direct patients on site when they; arrive, receive their vaccination and exit, along with supporting car park traffic and handing out PPE and information.

To express your interest in supporting at the vaccine sites, choose from the locations below and follow the instructions to register. Your details will be passed on to the team in charge, and they will contact you if they require your help.

If you can travel to help out in more than one of the areas that is listed below, choose ‘I can help anywhere’.

If you require any further information about this role, please contact the MHCC Engagement Team by telephone on 0161 213 1756 or email mhcc.engagement@nhs.net.

Further information on who is eligible to volunteer and other volunteering opportunities is available on the Macc website HERE.

Active Neighbourhood Phase 2 (Burnage) Consultation Extended And Online Events Announced

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

Phase 2 Consultation deadline extended

The consultation for what has been reclassified as Phase 2 of the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood covering part of Burnage Ward has been extended to 25 January 2021. The council website says 21 January but letters recently sent out to some people now state 25 January.

You can leave comments by sending an email to the project levyburnageproject@manchester.gov.uk or giving feedback using the project website HERE

PHASE 2 Online Events

The council Project Team is also planning four online video events to allow people to comment. These are planned to happen in January. The council says it is organising these meetings geographically “…to allow people to talk in more detail about their local area and hear the views of their neighbours“. Each meeting will last one hour.

The meetings will be:

A Grangethorpe Drive, Crossley Road and connecting streets and the area to the south of the LBAN boundary between A34 Kingsway to the south of Cringle Park

B Area between A34 Kingsway and Burnage Lane, south of Fallowfield Loop

C Area bounded by A34, Moseley Road, and streets off Slade Lane north of the Fallowfield Loop

D Area bounded by Albert Road and the railway line, and streets off Forrest Range and Errwood Road north of the Fallowfield Loop

E Area bounded by Stockport Road and Crossley Road, including streets off Errwood Road south of the Fallowfield Loop

If you are interested in attending one of the online events to talk about the trial in Phase 2 of the project covering the Burnage Ward please email: levyburnageproject@manchester.gov.uk stating which event (A-E) you wish to attend.

NOTE: The project email address has not been working for some weeks. If you have any difficulty all we can suggest is you keep trying. The council has been made aware of this problem.

Elections postponed

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

The elections scheduled for May 6 2021 have been postponed because of the pandemic. This includes both the local elections and the election of the Greater Manchester Mayor.

New dates have not been confirmed yet but the elections are expected to take place in the summer (June or July). There is also the possibility they may be delayed further to the autumn.

The option of holding elections using postal ballots only has been ruled out.

We will post again when further information is available.

You can read the BBC News report on this HERE

Levenshulme Businesses Invited To Active Neighbourhood Meeting

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

The council is holding an online event for businesses to discuss the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood scheme Phase 1 (Levenshulme). The Project Team says:

“We felt that people attending [previous] 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.”

The event will take place at 18.00-19.00 on Thursday 14 January, 2021

The meeting will be attended by Levenshulme Councillors, colleagues from the Highways Service and Central Neighbourhood Team.

If you wish to attend the meeting please email the project at: Levyburnageproject@manchester.gov.uk

Please also share this information with any other businesses in the area who you think would be interested in taking part. The Active Neighbourhood project and the current trial of road blocks / “modal filters” are likely to have a significant impact on businesses. You can find a list of the locations at www.manchester.gov.uk/consultations.

[EDIT: The project email address is now working again]

Thee project email address has not been working properly recently so please feel free to email the LCA and we will pass your request on to the Project Team. If you cannot get through on the project email use this email address <secretary@levenshulmecommunity.org.uk> and add “LBAN Business Meeting” in the subject line.

What are the new Lockdown rules?

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Jeremy Hoad

We are now in another lockdown introduced by the government to attempt to reduce Covid19 infection rates. This is particularly in response to the rapid spread of the new variant of the virus which is much easier to catch. The Health Secretary and Prime Minister have both stated that the virus is currently out of control. These rules became law on Monday 4 January and have subsequently been ratified on Wednesday 6 January in a retrospective debate and vote in Parliament.

You can read the full government guidance HERE.

Summary: what you can and cannot do during the national lockdown

You must stay at home. The single most important action we can all take is to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.

You should follow this guidance immediately. The law will be updated to reflect these new rules.

Leaving home

You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary. You may leave the home to:

shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person
go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home
exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one
seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
attend education or childcare – for those eligible

Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term. Early years settings remain open.

Higher Education provision will remain online until mid February for all except future critical worker courses.

If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local – unless it is necessary to go further, for example to go to work. Stay local means stay in the village, town, or part of the city where you live.

If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. You should not attend work

Meeting others

You cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone you do not live with or are not in a support bubble with (if you are legally permitted to form one).

You may exercise on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.

You cannot meet other people you do not live with, or have not formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason.

Stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household.

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

LCA collaboration on 2021 Census

Posted on December 18, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Levenshulme Community Association is pleased to confirm that we are partnering with the Office of National Statistics (ONS) to provide information on the 2021 census.

The 2021 Census will take place on 21 March. Resources, information and guidance will be provided on the LCA website to help understand the value, purpose and importance of the census as well as how to take part.

Jeremy Hoad, LCA Secretary has already had a meeting with ONS staff to explore collaboration. Keep an eye out for further announcements but in the meantime you can find more information on the dedicated ONS census website HERE

What is the Census?

“The census is a survey that happens every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. The census is unique. There’s simply nothing else that gives so much detail about us and the society we live in.
All kinds of organisations, from local authorities to charities, use the information to help provide the services we all need, including transport, education and healthcare. Without the census, it would be much more difficult to do this.
By taking part, you’ll be helping make sure you and your community get the services needed now and in the future.”
Office for National Statistics

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

Greater Manchester World AIDS Day Online Vigil

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

From 19.00 you can join the online World AIDS Day Vigil as we remember people lost to HIV, show our solidarity with people living with HIV around the world and commit ourselves to challenging HIV stigma and discrimination.

The Vigil is organised by the Passionate about Sexual Health (PaSH) Partnership, a collaboration between BHA for Equality, George House Trust and LGBT Foundation.

You can join the vigil HERE

The red ribbon is the universal symbol of awareness and support for people living with HIV.

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

Levenshulme’s Bopcap Books in The Guardian

Posted on November 9, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Suzy Prince, co-owner of Bopcap Books in the Antiques Village, has an article in the Guardian reflecting on the pandemic and a trend and determination of people to shop locally.

“In Greater Manchester, there’s… anger about recent events, and for some people, overtly buying from independent businesses has become an act of defiance, of sorts.”

“…it seems clear that people want change and are prepared to go out of their way to achieve it. A world with far fewer cafes, bars and independent shops in it would be a considerably duller place. Let’s hope the will that has emerged over the last few months to keep our high streets alive lasts far beyond the pandemic. Amid all the gloom, I think the signs are strong.”

Go to Bopcap Books website HERE

You can read the full article HERE

Levenshulme Remembers 2020

Posted on November 8, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Levenshulme remembers in an event for Remembrance Sunday at the Levenshulme War Memorial outside St Peter’s Church. The event was pre-recorded before the current pandemic lockdown restrictions were imposed by the government. Lead by Reverend George Reeves, Rector of St Peter and St Mark’s parish Levenshulme.

You can also view the video for the Manchester City Council Remembrance Commemoration 2020 lead by Rt Revd David Walker, Bishop of Manchester HERE.

How To Reduce Covid19 Infection Risks

Posted on October 29, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Spanish newspaper El Pais has a very clear article on how covid19 spreads and how to reduce your risk of exposure and infection.The article includes very clear animations and illustrations.

The article gives three examples: a room, a bar and a classroom and shows how risks can be reduced by:

maintaining social distance
wearing masks
reducing the time in the location
ensuring there is ventilation

Obviously we should all also maintain cleanliness by washing or sanitising our hands regularly. Minimising what you touch when out can also help reduce the risk of virus transmission.

You can read the article HERE

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.

Swimming Lessons At Arcadia

Posted on October 15, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Arcadia have resumed their swimming lessons, for details visit the centre or access the link below. To ensure members of the public and children’s safety whilst learning to swim, safety procedures implemented in line with government guidance. Please also see the video below.

Please note: At present swimming lessons are only for children.

MCR Active says:

Swimming lessons in Manchester are back! We’re pleased to let you know, that in line with the re-start of the academic year, we will be welcoming back children between the ages of 5 and 16 to our Swimming Lessons across Manchester.
Lessons will take place at community pools available to the public. A decision, given the comprehensive Government guidance, we have carefully considered. We will ensure we reopen safely, prioritising all our customers and staff, in the knowledge that our pools can carefully help the city get active again. See the full list below to check when your nearest available pool will be offering swimming lessons.
IMPORTANT: All swimming lessons must be booked in advance online or via the app before your visit.

Full information is available HERE

The Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre website is available HERE

There is a video that you should watch before booking a swimming lesson:

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

Meeting People In Gardens Is Still Banned

Posted on October 13, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

EDIT: A note has now been added to the Greater Manchester local lockdown rules page on the government website to say that the local lockdown rules will be replaced by the new Tier 2 (High) rules from tomorrow. This means in effect that the government is relaxing the rules across Greater Manchester.

The government has placed Manchester in its new “Tier 2 (High)” category and the Manchester local lockdown rules have been updated. The two sets of rules say different things

The Tier 2 (High) restrictions allow people to meet other people outdoors in their gardens in groups of up to six people. The Manchester local lockdown rules do not allow this.

Basically we still can NOT meet people in our homes or gardens unless they are in our “support bubble”.

The Tier 2 (High) rules come into force on Wednesday 14 October at 00.01. Maybe the local lockdown rules will be changed again then but currently the Tier 2 and Manchester Local Lockdown rules contradict each other. There is no mention on the government’s website for the local lockdown rules that they will change when the Tier 2 rules come into force tomorrow.

What do the Manchester local lockdown rules say?

Read the Greater Manchester Local Lockdown rules in full HERE

“Social contact restrictions

If you live in one of the affected areas, in order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus you must not:

host people you do not live with in your home or garden, unless they’re in your support or childcare bubble

meet people you do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside the affected local areas, unless they’re in your support or childcare bubble

Your household is defined as the people you live with and any support or childcare bubble.

A support bubble is where a household with one adult joins with another household. Households within a bubble can still visit each other, stay overnight, and visit public places together.

A childcare bubble is where someone in one household can provide informal (meaning unpaid and unregistered) childcare to a child aged 13 or under in another household. This must occur on an exclusive basis – always the same two households.“

What do the Tier 2 (High) restrictions say?

Read the Tier 2 (High) rules in full HERE

“You may continue to see friends and family you do not live with (or have not formed a support bubble with) outside, including in a garden or other outdoor space. When you do so, you must not meet in a group of more than 6. This limit of 6 includes children of any age.“

New Co-op Belle Vue School

Posted on October 12, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

The Showcase cinemas at Belle Vue are being demolished to to be replaced with a new school provided by the Co-op Academies Trust.

The new school will open in September 2021. Applications for Year 7 entry are open now and close on Monday 2nd November 2020 at 17.00. 120 places are available and the school will expand to its full capacity of 1200 by 2028. The first two year groups will remain at 120 throughout their time at academy. The school will grow to a full capacity of 1200 pupils by September 2028 with intakes of 240 per year from 2023.

Until the new facilities open in September 2023 students will be taught in temporary accommodation.

Full information is available HERE.

If you would like to know more please email: bellevue@coopacademies.co.uk

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

Active Neighbourhood Dates

Posted on October 7, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Active Neighbourhood online feedback deadline 28 October 2020

Road Blocks / “Modal Filters” trial will run from 19 December 2020 to 19 June 2021

UPDATE: The Manchester City Council website did not mention any dates initially, then within the last week the dates were added. It seemed the dates had been removed but actually an extra page of text was added to the MCC website on 7th October HERE that still includes the dates.

A contact email for the project has also now been added: levyburnageproject@manchester.gov.uk

Manchester City Council still hasn’t actually informed anybody about the new plans and consultation on the proposed Active Neighbourhood but it has set a deadline for feedback.

Letters were promised to all residents, businesses, schools and community groups but so far nothing has been sent out. We were also promised a phone line to make comments and that has not yet been provided and an email address which so far doesn’t seem to exist. The new website for commenting is only available in English. No posters or information have been put up in the area informing people about the online consultation. So the only way to comment on a scheme the council hasn’t officially told anyone about yet is online HERE.

Regardless of not telling anyone about the new plans apart from a tweet from our MP, Afzal Khan, that was shared by some councillors the council has now provided a deadline when the online consultation will end on 28th October. So we won’t be able to comment on a plan the council hasn’t told anybody about after 28th October.

There are now 25 individual road blocks / “modal filters” on the new plans in Phase 1 covering Levenshulme. The Commonplace website says temporary crossings and traffic calming will be included the trial but there is no evidence of these on the new plans although part of the online consultation invites comments about these. A summary of the new plans is available HERE.

Note that the project has now been renamed “Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood”. When it was called Levenshulme Bee Network it included part of Burnage. Now it is called Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood that part of Burnage is now excluded from the trial starting in December.

The part of Burnage included in the project is now identified as “Phase 2”. The project claims it will reduce traffic in the area but the council says the Burnage area has now been excluded from the December trial “…because of the density of schools in the Cringle Brook (Phase 2) area, and issues with traffic congestion…” which is a little confusing.

The Phase 2 area covers part of Burnage Ward and was identified previously as “Cringle Park Area”, not “Cringle Brook” as the council website says. The road blocks / “modal filters” that were in the previous plans in what is now Phase 2 have been removed from the new plans and you are invited to propose ideas for Burnage Ward. No timeline is available for Phase 2.

The project was paused in the summer to allow for further and more extensive engagement with the community. The July statement from Levenshulme councillors is below for reference. Since then a new Project Manager was appointed by the council, new plans developed that seem to be almost identical to the original plans despite them receiving considerable opposition from our community and the Burnage section of the project has been removed from the trial despite Sustrans (who developed the plans for the council) saying the whole scheme needed to be trialled or it wouldn’t work.

The whole thing is ever more confusing but further updates will be provided as things develop to try and keep people informed.

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

Prime Minister’s Statement On New Coronavirus Measures

Posted on September 22, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Please see below the statement to the House of Commons by the UK Prime Minister. This includes announcements on stricter measures following the recent surge in infections, hospitalisations and deaths. These measures are expected to last for six months.

There will be a further televised statement by PM Johnson tonight at 20.00 that will be added to this post.

Key points:

Schools, colleges and universities will remain open.
Office workers who can work at home should do so.
Key public service and key workers who cannot work from home should continue to attend their workplaces.
From Thursday 24th September 2020 all pubs, bars and restaurants must operate a table service only except for takeaways.
All hospitality venues must close at 10pm with doors closed, not just last orders at 10pm.
Takeaways must also close at 10pm although deliveries can continue after 10pm.
Compulsory wearing of masks extended to taxis, private hire vehicles and all staff in retail.
Alll staff and customers in hospitality venues (except when seated at a table to eat or drink) must wear masks.
In retail, leisure, tourism and other sectors government covid secure guidelines will become legal obligations. Businesses will be fined and could be closed if they breach the rules.
From Monday 28th September a maximum of 15 people can attend wedding ceremonies and wedding receptions.
Up to 30 people can still attend a funeral.
“Rule of Six” will be extended to all adult indoor team sports.
The “Rule of Six” (when meeting friends and family you do not live with – or have formed a support bubble with – you must not meet in a group of more than six) will now therefore apply in all circumstances apart from weddings (15 people), wedding receptions (15 people), funerals (30 people) and outdoor organised team sports (30 people).
Business conferences, events and large sporting events will not be permitted as was planned for 1st October 2020.
People who were previously shielding will not be advised to do so again for the time being.
These rules will be enforced by tighter penalties.
Fine of up to £10,000 for those who fail to self isolate already exist and these fines will now be applied to businesses who break these covid rules.
Fine for breaking the “Rule of Six” or not wearing a mask will double to £200 for a first offence.
There will be a greater police presence on our streets and extra funding will be provided to police to enforce these rules.
Military support will be called on where required to free up the police for other matters.
These measures apply in England. Devolved administrations are taking “similar” measures.
13 million people in England are living under further restrictions over and above these national measures [see HERE for the local lockdown measures that apply in Manchester].
“Fire power will be drawn upon” to deploy further measures if these measures do not work and people do not follow these rules.
These new restrictions should be assumed to remain in place “for perhaps SIX MONTHS”.

What are the differences between these new national rules and the extra local lockdown rules in Manchester?

Please note at the time of this announcement the rules for the Greater Manchester local lockdown have not been updated to reflect the new national rules that apply variously with immediate effect, from Thursday 24th September and from Monday 29th September 2020 as outlined above.

The rules across Greater manchester vary between different areas. This is outlined in the link above. Key differences to the new national rules that currently apply in Manchester are outlined below.

Key differences in Manchester:

You MUST NOT:
- host people you do not live with in your home or garden, unless they’re in your support bubble*. (A support bubble is where a household with one adult joins with another household. Households within a bubble can still visit each other, stay overnight, and visit public places together.)
- meet people you do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside of the affected areas unless they’re in your support bubble.

You are ADVISED to NOT:
- socialise with people you do not live with, unless they’re in your support bubble, in any public venue. This applies to inside and outside of the affected areas. Examples of public venues include pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops, places of worship, community centres, leisure and entertainment venues, or visitor attractions and parks.
- visit friends or family in care homes, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Other differences:
- You should follow all relevant transport guidance when making a journey into, within or out of the areas affected.
- Organised dance and exercise classes can take place in groups of more than 6, where a risk assessment has been carried out, but you should limit your social interaction with other participants.
- You can continue to use early years and childcare settings, including childminders and providers offering before- or after-school clubs or other out-of-school settings for children. You can also continue to employ nannies – see guidance on working safely in other people’s homes.
- Friends or family who you do not live with should not visit your home to help with childcare unless they are part of your support bubble.

This information is provided in good faith as an accurate reflection of changing circumstances and the differences between the national and local restrictions and rules. Please follow the links for more detailed guidance and rules from the government.

Prime Minister’s Statement to the House of Commons, 22nd September 2020

Prime Minister’s Statement to the House of Commons, 22nd September 2020

Prime Minister’s broadcast to the nation, 22nd September 2020

Prime Minister’s broadcast to the nation, 22nd September 2020

World Car Free Day 2020

Posted on September 22, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Today is World Car Free Day 2020.

Car Free Day encourages motorists to give up their cars for a day. Organised events are sometimes held but the general aim is to encourage walking and cycling and use of public transport instead of cars.

The European Union has since 2001 extended this idea to European Mobility Week culminating in the World Car Free Day. The UK has two cities participating (London and Nottingham) compared to 540 locations in Turkey, 534 in Austria and 530 in Spain.

Manchester City Council is currently developing plans for an Active Neighbourhood in Levenshulme and Burnage to encourage and make walking and cycling easier. The project was paused in the summer but revised plans and letters with information to residents and businesses are expected soon.

The first proposal of the Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood is to trial a “Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN)” in the form of multiple road blocks to vehicles (referred to as “modal filters”). These would restrict routes for vehicles whilst allowing pedestrians and cyclists free access. 32 filters were initially proposed in May 2020 but the revised plans are likely to change from that. Keep an eye out for the letters and information.

The Levenshulme Community Manifesto developed by the LCA includes a section on transport.

Free NHS Health Checks

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Free NHS Health Checks are available for anyone aged 40-74 who is registered with a GP in Manchester and not on a disease register for a pre-existing health condition such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

By appointment only between 09.40-15.00 at Abbey Hey FC on Wednesday 30th September 2020.

To book an appointment please call 077 028 72861

Coronavirus Update

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Please see below the video from Professor Chris Whitty (Chief Medical Officer, England) and Sir Patrick Vallance (Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK government) providing an update on the recent significant increases in infection rates across the country.

MEN Article On School Traffic “Chaos”

Posted on September 19, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Levenshulme is in the news with an article in the Manchester Evening News about traffic problems around schools.

“A community campaign group [Streets For People] is urging local councillors to take action on dangerous parking and increased school traffic in south Manchester.”
Extract from MEN article

Streets For People is hosting a Zoom meeting on Sunday 20th September 2020 at 3pm. The group says:

“We are organising a public meeting on the issue of what’s happening with the Low Traffic Neighbourhood proposals, and especially the council’s inaction on the dangerous situation outside schools caused by motor traffic.
We challenge the Levenshulme and Burnage councillors and council leadership to attend this meeting and explain to residents what is happening.”
Streets For People

Read the full article HERE

You can view the Streets for People video below or on their website HERE.

Levenshulme Library Opens Again

Posted on September 13, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Levenshulme Library on the ground floor of the Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre on Stockport Road will open again tomorrow (Monday 14 September).

Opening Times and Contact Details:

Monday, Wednesday 10am to 3pm
Saturdays 11am to 3pm
Library available for use by over 60s from 10am to 11am
Phone: 0161 227 3725

Changes to using the library

When visiting the library, you will be asked to give your name and a contact number. All libraries have been asked by Government to collect the following information, to assist with the control of the Covid-19 pandemic. This information will be shared with NHS Test and Trace where requested, to identify people who may have been exposed to the virus.

Residents can have up to 30 minutes to browse for books, or can select and reserve up to six books for collection from their chosen library.

Computers are also available for public use. Due to limited availability, residents wishing to use a computer are encouraged to call their library in advance to book a slot.

Books which were borrowed before libraries were forced to close in March have been renewed until 22 September, so residents will not have incurred fines during this period.

To help ensure social distancing, the numbers of users allowed inside each library at one time will be limited, so it may be necessary to queue outside the library at busy times. Children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent, carer or older sibling.

Library users can reserve books to be picked up, using the online libraries catalogue or using one of the following options:

Ring and Read – get help to find books which you might enjoy by calling one of the libraries that are opening
Click and Collect, using www.manchester.gov.uk/libraries

Levenshulme Station Improvements

Posted on September 12, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Network Rail will start work on improvements to Levenshulme Station this month.

Work is scheduled to start on Monday 28th September and finish on Friday 13th November 2020 with work taking place between 7am and 5pm.

Flooding in the subway under the platforms has been a problem for many years. The inside of the station will be upgraded with new lighting, flooring (a new concrete and resin floor), a new ceiling, cladding and painting.

The work will involve a temporary closure of the subway tunnel so the old Albert Road entrance will be reinstated permanently. This will provide access to platform 1 only until the subway reopens. Access to platform 2 will continue from the existing entrance. Access to both platforms will be available from either side of the tracks once work is completed.

Apart from the reopening of the Albert Road station entrance no other improvements will be done as part of these improvements. Friends of Levenshulme Station continue to campaign for access improvements alongside other local groups such as the LCA, local councillors (Dzidra Noor, Basat Sheikh and Bernard Stone) and our MP (Afzal Khan).

Image courtesy of Conrad Bower / themeteor.org

Harsher Lockdown Rules From Next Week

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

The government has announced harsher lockdown rules that will apply to all of England from Monday 14th September 2020.

An announcement from PM Johnson is expected tomorrow (Wednesday 9th September) but the new rules will ban gatherings of more than six people with only limited exceptions.

At-a-glance: What are the new rules?

Social gatherings of more than six people in England will not be allowed in law from Monday 14 September
The new rule applies to private homes, indoors and outdoors, and places such as bars and cafes
The rule does not apply to schools and workplaces, or weddings, funerals and organised team sports
A full list of exemptions is due to be published before the law changes
People who ignore police could be fined £100 – doubling with each offence to a maximum of £3,200

Further information is available from the BBC HERE

We will provide another update when more information is released by the government.

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.

The Nest At Levenshulme Old Library Is Closing

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

This is an announcement from The Owl and The Coconut based at The Nest at Levenshulme Old Library.

Sadly The Nest at Levenshulme won’t be reopening but all The Owl and The Coconut classes and courses will continue! They will be online for now.

We’ve absolutely loved running our wellness space The Nest from the Old Library over the past two years! From Gong Baths to Mindful Art and everything in between it’s been epic!

As the world has changed during the Covid pandemic our needs at The Owl and The Coconut have changed too. For now we’re moving all our classes and courses online, which means we need a much smaller space. So we are closing The Nest and leaving Levenshulme Old Library.

We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone at Levenshulme Old Library. And to all of you who have joined us for wellness events at The Nest over the last two years. Thank you to everyone who we have worked with, all The Nest members and partner organisations, it’s been incredible!

Our meditation and mindful art classes and courses start up again online soon! Watch this space! To be first to here about them and keep up with all things Owl and Coconut follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter or click HERE to join our mailing list.

Together let’s create pockets of peace for us all to rest in for a moment!

Big love from us all at The Owl and The Coconut xxx

“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 →

School Crossing Safety Improvements

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Significant improvements are taking place to the roads around our schools as part of a road safety project by Manchester City Council. Full details of the improvements are provided below.

The schools affected in this area are:

Acacias Primary School
Alma Park Primary School
Chapel Street Primary School
Crowcroft Park Primary School
Levenshulme High School for Girls
St Mary’s Primary School
St Richard’s Primary School

The aims are:

to reduce the speed that traffic can move around the school
to increase the visibility of the crossing
to stop drivers parking on or near the crossing.

Manchester City Council says:

“We’re committed to making the roads around our schools much safer. These improvements are essential and should encourage more families to walk to school.
The improvements have been designed specifically for each crossing location, taking into account facts and figures relating to accident data and evidence from the site and surrounding areas.
We believe that these measures will make our school neighbourhoods much safer environments, and reduce the likelihood of accidents happening.”
Manchester City Council School Road Safety Projects

The council announcements are available HERE. Work has already started on the Chapel Street Primary School improvements.

If you wish to comment on these changes you can email the council at: engcp8@manchester.gov.uk

Please note that this project is not part of the Active Neighbourhood proposals currently in development that were previously badged as Levenshulme Bee Network.

What are the changes?

Acacias Primary School

Burnage Lane / School Entrance
- Zebra Crossing
- Bollards
- Guardrail
Crossley Road and Moorton Avenue
- Speed cushions / traffic calming
- Bollards

Alma Park Primary School and St Mary’s Primary School

Errwood Road / Clare Road / Buckhurst Road
(assumed roads as specific locations not specified apart from Buckhurst Road)
- Flat top junction/crossing
- Tactile paving
- New signage
- Renew road markings
- Tighten Buckhurst Road junction
- Raised puffin crossing
- Speed cushions
- Bollards and railings

Chapel Street Primary School

Barlow Road / Cromwell Grove
- Tighten junction
- Realign island
- Signalised crossing
- ‘No Waiting At Any Time’ markings
Broom Lane / Chapel Street
- Speed cushions
- New signs and road markings

Crowcroft Park Primary School / St Richard’s Primary School

Northmoor Road / Stovell Avenue / Wilpshire Avenue
(assumed roads as specific locations not specified)
- Kerb buildout to slow traffic
- Bollards to prevent dangerous parking
- Dropped kerbs for increased access
- Tactile paving
- Refreshed road markings
- Reduced foliage for increased visibility

Levenshulme High School for Girls

Burnage Lane / school gates
- Zebra crossing
- Bollards
- Guardrails
Crossley Road/ Moorton Ave
- Speed cushions/ traffic calming
- Bollards

Manchester Property Boom Documentary

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

A new four part documentary series – Manctopia: Billion Pound Property Boom – starts tonight on BBC2 at 21.00.

The iPlayer link and trailer is available HERE

Manchester skyline image courtesy of BBC website

Government Support for Self Employed – Stage 2

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

The second stage of Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) opens for applications today.

Anyone whose self-employed business has been adversely affected by coronavirus since 14 July is eligible for the scheme and will now be able to receive a second and final grant worth 70% of their average monthly trading profits, with the money set to land in their bank accounts within six working days of making a claim.

Check if you can claim a grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme HERE

Claim a grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme HERE

Litter Picking Training Course

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Keep Britain Tidy are delivering a virtual training course for Manchester City Residents who would like to host litter picking events. Places are limited.

The course covers things like engagement, the law, street cleaning, logistics, and impact evaluation. There will also be a Q&A. It will be delivered virtually on the morning of 7th September (9.30 to 1.00 with comfort breaks) just in time for the GB September Clean.

If you’re interested and would like to book a place please email:

e.krijnen-kemp@manchester.gov.uk

School Uniform Free Shop

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

St Peter’s and St Mark’s Levenshulme are having a second session of their free second hand school uniform shop at St Peter’s Church on Wednesday 26th August.

This will be Covid-Secure and will need to strictly operate half hour pre-booked slots from 9.30am. Please private message George Reeves (Rector) to book a slot to collect some donated uniform. You can do this via the post on Facebook HERE

Lots of St Andrew’s, some St Mary’s, Chapel Street and bits of other schools branded sweaters are available including shirts and trousers / skirts for various ages. There are also some high school items, including some blazers.

Play Streets for Manchester

Posted on August 14, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Manchester City Council has confirmed a new opportunity for residents to organise Play Streets. The council says:

“We want more of our residents from all parts of the city to come together to close the road or street where they live to help children’s play. A group of residents can apply to close their road on a regular basis for a few hours each time so there is no danger or inconvenience from through traffic.”

Full details are available HERE including information on:

suitable streets
when to hold a play street session
getting support from neighbours
managing traffic
volunteers and marshalls
fees and how to apply for permission
getting support from your local Neighbourhood Team

Play Streets were trialled in Levenshulme in 2019 as part of the Levenshulme Active Neighbourhood Project via the Levenshulme Bee Network group. Six streets ran Play Street trials including Osborne Road and Central Avenue. There was a report on the Osborne Road trial in the Manchester Evening News which can be read HERE.

Although Levenshulme Bee Network is no longer part of the Active Neighbourhood Project that project continues and you can organise Play Streets by following the council guidance. The idea for Play Streets was borrowed from the Playing Out community project that started in Bristol in 2011. You can find out about them HERE and get ideas for how to make Play Streets work.

Levenshulme Play Street Trial 2019, Osborne Road

GMP Bike Marking Events

Posted on August 4, 2020 by Jeremy Hoad

Greater Manchester Police have two Bike Marking Events coming up this week.

Fallowfield

Friday 7th August
Between 12pm and 3pm
CANCER RESEARCH BUILDING WILMSLOW ROAD M20 4QL

Levenshulme

Saturday 8th August
Between 12pm and 3pm
“THE QUADRANTS ” CRAYFIELD ROAD Entrance to the FALLOWFIELD LOOP M19 3NX

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Summary: what you can and cannot do during the national lockdown

Leaving home

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Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984

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