The list of candidates for the local elections has been released. Candidates for Levenshulme and Burnage Wards are listed below.
The LCA local election hustings will be held at St Peter’s Church on Thursday 18 April 2024.
Levenshulme Community Association is holding hustings for the local elections on Thursday 18 April 2024 at St Peter’s Church on Stockport Road.
This is your chance to ask candidates questions. All candidates are invited to take part in the hustings.
The LCA holds hustings for Levenshulme Ward and Burnage Ward because Levenshulme is covered by both these Wards and the priority for the LCA is to provide a voice and opportunities our whole community.
Thanks to St Peter’s Church for kindly hosting the hustings with the LCA.
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.
Sadly today is the last trading day for Levenshulme Market in 2023. The Market is taking a break after celebrating 10 years of trading and intends to return in 2024.
The Market has been clear that there are a variety of reasons for this unexpected pause but the main one appears to be Manchester City Council deciding to impose a new fee in addition to the site licence fee the Market already pays. A full explanation from Levenshulme Market is available HERE (June 7) with a further update HERE (July 13).
Levenshulme Community Association would like to thank everyone involved in Levenshulme Market and for making the Market such a big part of Levenshulme as well as such a success winning several awards and supporting traders, with several going on to open businesses in Levenshulme. We hope that Levenshulme Market and Manchester City Council can find a solution and that the Council fully recognises the value of the Market and the contribution it has made to Levenshulme as a Community Interest Company and social enterprise, and the value it adds to our community.
Even though the weather might be showery today go down and give Levenshulme Market a big send off at the last Market of this year. We hope to see Levenshulme Market back again as soon as possible.
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
The government has introduced Voter Photo ID for local elections this year. You MUST have valid photo ID with you when you vote in person at a polling station on 4 May. See below for a list of what photo ID will be accepted.
If you don’t have valid Photo ID (details below) you can apply for a free Voter Authorisation Certificate. You must apply before 17.00 on Tuesday 25 April 2023.
Here is a video explaining the new requirements.
You can use any of the following accepted forms of photo ID when voting at a polling station.
You will only need to show one form of photo ID. It needs to be the original version and not a photocopy.
You can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate, if:
You need to register to vote before applying for a Voter Authority Certificate.
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.
Manchester City Council has changed its plans and now proposes to increase council tax by the maximum possible next year, 4.99%.
A consultation on the proposals is open until 7 February 2023. The council’s explanation is below. You can go directly to the consultation HERE
We still want to hear your views on revised council tax proposals for 2023/24.
Your views will help shape the decisions we need to take around council tax increases.
Our other budget proposals remain the same, so if you gave views on these in the earlier consultation, they still stand.
Make sure you have your say before Tuesday 7 February.
The Government’s Autumn Statement has moved the goalposts considerably. They have decided that council tax can now increase by up to 2.99% in the general charge plus an extra charge (called a precept) of up to 2% to help fund adult social care. This means there can now be a 4.99% increase without the need for a costly local referendum – 2% more than the original limit which is what we had originally proposed and consulted with you about.
The Government has put off making the most difficult decisions about funding cuts to address the black hole in public sector finances until 2025. It has also provided some additional funding to help us support the most vulnerable.
But while the immediate position is not as severe as we anticipated, we still need to plan now for tough times looming on the horizon to ensure our funding is sustainable and we can continue to provide support to those who need it most as well as the services everyone needs.
Our funding allocation from Government effectively assumes that we will increase council tax by the full amount now allowed. If we don’t do this it may impact on future funding settlements, with the Government assuming the Council has more money than we actually do.
From speaking to other comparable councils we know they have reached the same conclusion which we reluctantly have – that there is little choice but to look at raising council tax in line with the new limit.
We are therefore now proposing to increase general council tax by 2.99% plus a 2% adult social care precept – a 4.99% increase in total.
Putting up council tax is not something we do lightly when we are acutely aware that there is a cost of living crisis facing many of us.
But the extra money for adult social care will enable us to support the social care sector more, helping to relieve some of the well-documented pressures on the NHS. We will also be able to provide more targeted help for the most vulnerable people in our city.
Funding from the extra 1% on council tax will also be targeted at supporting our most vulnerable residents and the voluntary sector who do such valuable work in our city.
Even a 4.99% increase will still be well below inflation and less than the increase to other household bills. Our strengthened Council Tax Support scheme will also mean that Manchester residents on the lowest incomes will get more help with their bills.
The Council’s financial position remains challenging against a backdrop of high inflation (even higher now than when we first consulted), rising interest rates and a volatile economic climate.
This comes on top of more than a decade of central government funding cuts to our budget, even as our city and the need for our services grew. Manchester was one of the hardest hit places in the country by these cuts. Since 2010 we have had to make £428 million of savings to cope with cuts to our government funding and unfunded budget pressures such as inflation and a growing population.
We still need to make savings to balance the budget over the next three years and have consulted on proposals as part of the previous consultation. If you have given views on these, they still stand.
We remain firmly focused on delivering your priorities – from overseeing the building of 10,000 affordable homes over 10 years to leading the charge to become zero carbon by 2038; from promoting a healthier and happier city to creating vibrant neighbourhoods and investing in your parks and roads.
Your views in this consultation will help inform decisions about council tax levels.
Government rules currently allow us to charge a 100% council tax premium on any unfurnished homes that have been empty for over two years, doubling the charge absentee owners must pay. This is to encourage owners of long-term empty properties to bring them back into use. Planned changes to those national rules would reduce the period after which we are allowed to charge double to just one year. We are considering charging owners and landlords the extra 100% premium after one year.
In addition, national changes in the offing would allow councils to charge a 100% premium on empty, furnished homes (second homes and rental properties between tenants) as well. This will mean second home owners and landlords with furnished properties will pay double council tax for any period that their property is empty. We are also considering charging this higher rate of council tax for empty, furnished properties if we are allowed.
The consultation runs until 7 February 2023.
Manchester City Council has launched a consultation on proposals for Selective Licensing in parts of Levenshulme. This would affect private rented properties.
This is the area proposed in Levenshulme. It would Include flats, suffixed and sub-addresses in this area.
| Street | Post code |
|---|---|
| 1-48 Damien Street (All) | M12 4GW |
| 72-118 Hemmons Road (Evens) | M12 4QG M12 5ST |
| 37-94 Longden Road (All) | M12 5SG |
| 1-38 Maida Street (All) | M12 4QQ |
| 1-57 Ollier Avenue (Odds) | M12 5SU |
| 1-42 Seddon Street (All) | M12 4GP |
| 81-135 Stovell Avenue (Odds) | M12 5SE M12 4GN |
Levenshulme | Proposed areas for Selective Licensing | Manchester City Council
The consultation will run for 10 weeks from 5th October – 14th December 2022.
Please see link below to Manchester City Council’s website, which provides background information about the proposals and includes details of how residents and landlords can have their say, by completing an online questionnaire or by attending an in person drop-in event.
www.manchester.gov.uk/consultations
Further information from Manchester City Council is available HERE and below:
We have introduced a revised Private Rented Sector Strategy (2020-2025) with a detailed implementation plan. This sets out the Council’s approach to the private rented sector over the next five years. The new Housing Strategy (2022-2032) reaffirms our commitment to improving the safety, quality and management of private rented sector homes.
There are approximately 90,000 private rented properties which is 38% of the total housing for the City of Manchester. We know that many PRS (Private Rented Sector) properties provide good quality accommodation, however there are areas of Manchester where PRS properties are not managed to a good standard.
We work with teams across Community Safety, Compliance and Enforcement regularly and work with landlords in the private rented sector in dealing with complaints about anti-social behaviour, poor property management, waste issues and proactively work to remove any concerns in these areas.
Despite this, we have not seen sustained improvements in areas unless additional interventions are introduced. Enforcement against individual properties alone will not improve standards to the level required across each area.
Manchester has previously had an accreditation scheme, and we have considered voluntary accreditation as part of our work in Manchester. However, our experience is that these schemes inevitably attract landlords who are already providing a good service to their tenants and do little to engage or improve the property conditions of those landlords who are not.
The Council has the power to introduce ‘selective licensing schemes’ in areas of Manchester. In these areas private landlords, or their managing agents, would need to have a licence for each house that they rent out. There are approximately 3,200 private rented properties in the current selective licensing schemes and the proposed selective licensing schemes would affect 1,100 private rented properties.
Selective licensing ensures that:
To make sure that selective licensing helps to improve social or economic conditions, we want to introduce designated zones within the ward areas of Cheetham, Levenshulme, Longsight, Moss Side and Whalley Range, and Rusholme.
See which areas we are proposing for selective licensing and have your say
Find out more about the benefits of selective licensing and how areas are chosen
Read conditions the licence holder must comply with
When a Selective Licensing designation is being considered an area has to be experiencing one or more of the following conditions:
Before identifying any areas for selective licensing a ‘hotspot’ mapping exercise was undertaken looking at levels of anti-social behaviour, crime and service requests relating to housing and environmental issues, as well as levels of deprivation across the City. This data was overlaid to identify areas where challenges were likely to be concentrated.
Updated statistics for each of the areas can be found on our key statistics page.
View the key statistics for:
Views were then sought from local Neighbourhood and enforcement teams on boundaries for potential selective licensing areas within these ‘hotspot’ areas based on their local knowledge of the issues within each area.
In September 2020 the Council Executive held a meeting on past selective licensing in order to inform any new selective licensing schemes. The new licensing schemes being considered are in relation to tackling property condition, deprivation and anti-social behaviour. For more details on this you can read point 96 in the report and associated appendix on this topic in the Wednesday, 9 September, 2020, 2pm (manchester.gov.uk) agenda for Council Executive.
In June 2022 the Economy Scrutiny Committee reviewed updated local statistics which confirmed that the proposed areas continue to meet the necessary criteria for selective licensing and approved an outline consultation plan. For more details you can read section 11 onwards in the report and associated appendix in the Thursday, 23rd June, 2022 2.00pm (manchester.gov.uk) agenda for Economy Scrutiny.
The proposed licence fee is £800. The licensing fee is split into two parts, the application fee and the grant fee which is payable before any licence is issued. Non-payment of the grant fee will result in an application being delayed.
Once we have set an area for selective licensing, landlords will have three months to get their licences.
See the current fee structures
Income generated from licensing fees will be used to pay for the consultation process, administration, management and running of the scheme.
The Council does not generate surplus funds from selective licensing schemes. The income generated, the bulk of which is collected in years one and two, is required to manage and resource the scheme for its full designation.
Have your say on making manchester.gov.uk easier to use
Manchester City Council wants to understand how it can improve its website so that it is easier and quicker to use. The Council is seeking views about what works well on manchester.gov.uk, what doesn’t work well and what you want to use the website for.
There are two options to take part as a resident or as a business.
Residents
What will be involved
The feedback sessions will be events (in-person and online) taking place at a number of locations in Manchester between October 2022 and April 2023. Other residents will attend, and we will gather feedback from everyone in a group setting, with structured discussions facilitated by our team.
These events will be run specifically to gather feedback about manchester.gov.uk, we won’t be able to answer specific questions about council services, such as bin collections etc.
How to sign up
Complete the Manchester Resident Website Feedback Group Sign Up Form before 14 October 2022, with your name and contact details. Places in the feedback group are limited, but we may invite you to take part in other feedback sessions in the future.
In this form, you’ll be asked to provide some contact details so we can share details of the Website Feedback Group events with you. See Manchester City Council’s privacy policy.
Businesses
You will be invited to attend feedback sessions (in-person and online) taking place in Manchester between October 2022 and April 2023. Other businesses will attend and our team will facilitate structured workshop discussions.
If you would like to be invited to take part in the feedback sessions, please complete the Manchester Website Feedback Group for Businesses sign up form by 14th October, with your name and contact details.
Places in the feedback group are limited, not everybody who registers will receive an invitation to the first feedback event but we may invite you to take part in future sessions.
Your feedback will help us improve our digital systems so that they are better in the future.
At Manchester City Council we want to understand how we can improve our website so that it’s easier and quicker for Manchester businesses to use.
We’d like to hear your views about what works well on manchester.gov.uk, what doesn’t work well and what you want to use the website for.
You’re invited to sign up to take part in the Manchester Website Feedback Group for Businesses.
Manchester City Council is holding a consultation on its “Integrated Communities Strategy”.
The council wants views on:
Summary information is below or you can see more detailed information and respond to the consultation HERE
The consultation closes on Friday 15th July 2022.
Manchester Integrated Communities Strategy Consultation
Getting along with each other is key to making Manchester the best it can be for everyone who wants to call our city home.
The Council is currently running a consultation so that residents can tell us about how we strengthen the ways Mancunians could get along even better, and their experiences of how different communities interact where they live.
These views will be used to create the city’s first Integrated Communities Strategy. This strategy will support communities and relationships within them to become stronger – it’s about improving everyone’s chances of a good life.
Manchester City Council is making additional £150 payments to people via a council tax rebate.
This is a further payment from the government that Manchester City Council has decided how to allocate from the government’s £1,626,150 discretionary fund allocation to Manchester.
Manchester City Council says:
“We’ve made discretionary Council Tax Energy Rebate payments of £150 to some of our residents most in need. For some families and residents aged 80 or over, this is a second payment of £150. If you pay your council tax by Direct Debit, we’ve paid the £150 directly into your bank account and sent you a letter. If you don’t pay by Direct Debit, or have no council tax to pay, we’ve sent you a Post Office Voucher.”
Manchester City Council
People who qualify for these payments should receive them by 11 July 2022.
Further details are available HERE
It’s election time again and we’re back with hustings for both Burnage Ward and Levenshulme Ward after being prevented from holding them because of the pandemic restrictions.
This is your opportunity to ask questions of local election candidates in person and see how they respond. All questions will be addressed to all candidates. These are the people standing to be your local councillor and representative on Manchester City Council.
Thank you to Rev. George Reeves, Rector of St Peter and St Mark’s Parish, for kindly hosting the hustings at St Peter’s Church.
Burnage Ward Hustings
Levenshulme Ward Hustings
Candidates
Posters
The government is providing a £150 rebate on council tax for select households.
If you pay by Direct Debit you should receive the rebate automatically in April.
If you do not pay by Direct Debit Manchester City Council should contact you to directly so you can claim the rebate.
The rebate is available to people living in council tax bands A to D – including 95% of rented properties.
Further information is available from the government HERE
Information from Manchester City Council is available HERE
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.
Information from Manchester City Council
There are now three financial support schemes available to businesses through funding that was announced by the Government to help businesses in light of the Omicron variant.
COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF) replaces the right to request a reduction in business rates from the Valuation Office Agency due to COVID-19 and allows us to pay successful businesses a relief of up to 100% of their 2021/22 business rates bill. The fund is limited and only available to businesses that have been adversely affected by COVID-19 and are ineligible for existing COVID related business rates reliefs.
Read more about CARF and how to apply.
Additional Restrictions Grant top up (ARG) is designed to support businesses that have been impacted by the latest Covid-19 variant but are not eligible for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG).
Find out more about the discretionary scheme and how to apply.
The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) Did you receive a Local Restriction Support Grant last year? If your business offers in-person services on the premises in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors you might be eligible for a one-off Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant payment of up to £6,000.
Check eligibility and apply online.
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
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
A poster for the final Active Neighbourhood Map and an overview map are now available.
The documents are below and also available for download as higher quality PDFs in the documents section for the project HERE.
The current consultation started on 17 December 2021 and ends on 24 January 2022.
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 readingManchester 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: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 readingCouncillor Surgeries have restarted. They were cancelled at the start of the first lockdown in March 2020 and were never restarted even when lockdowns and restrictions were removed.
Now they’re back. The council did not advise anybody of this change but we have seen the change on the council’s website.
Drop in Advice Sessions and Surgeries
Attended by the Ward’s three Councillors on a rota basis
2nd and 4th Monday 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm (except August & Bank Holidays)
Arcadia Library
Yew Tree Ave
Levenshulme
Manchester
M19 3PH
Councillor Bev Craig (Burnage Ward) has been elected leader of the Manchester Labour group this evening (5 October 2021).
It is understood that Councillor Craig won in the second ballot with 51% of the vote against Councillor Luthfur Rahman (Longsight Ward). Two other candidates were eliminated in the first ballot: Councillor Garry Bridges (Old Moat Ward) and Councillor Ekua Bayunu (Hulme Ward).
It is expected that Councillor Craig will now take over from Sir Richard Leese in December as Leader of Manchester City Council. Richard Leese ends a period of 25 years as leader of Manchester Labour and Manchester City Council.
Councillor Craig has been Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council since May 2021 (Councillor Luthfur Rahman is the other Deputy Leader). Councillor Craig has been a councillor for Burnage Ward since 2011.
Levenshulme Community Association would like to congratulate Councillor Craig in her new role as leader of Manchester Labour. We look forward to continuing to work with her in the future.
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
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
Manchester City Council is looking for volunteers to help with the Alma Park School Street Trial scheduled for 1 July. Details are below. The deadline to get involved is Monday 28 June, 12.00 midday.
Volunteer Invitation
You may be aware of aware of our planned School street is a way to encourage parents/carers / residents to use active travel methods when dropping/picking up children from school. This is a great way to promote clean and safe environments, as we hope this event will help us achieve our aims to create a healthier environment around the school and local community.
The process of ‘School Streets’ events require temporary road closures around a school. To ensure the smooth running of the event, we are asking for some volunteer support to act as marshals between the hours of 1pm-4.30pm.
We need around 20 marshals to make the trial possible; all marshals will receive training material to review beforehand and have a briefing on the day. If you are interested, please email centralnt@manchester.gov.uk no later than Mon 28th June 12pm.
Please note, the briefing session will take place online via Microsoft Teams on Tues 29th June from 5pm-6pm. If you do not have access to Microsoft Teams, please let us know.
We hope you can be available and look forward to working with you.
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)
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
Greater Manchester has been designated an “Enhanced Response Area” for Covid-19 by the government. This follows Manchester City Council classifying Levenshulme as a “High Risk Area” on 20 May apparently because of low vaccination take up and the high incidence of infections.
David Regan, Director of Public Health for Manchester released a briefing note on 9 June which stated: “ERA work – which is like to start from the end of this week – will give us further support with the plans and strategies we already have in place, along with all the fantastic work that you and our communities are already doing.” You can read and download the full briefing note below.
One of those plans was to prevent infection rates increasing in High Risk areas like Levenshulme although it has been impossible to find out clear information of what this plan was or what measures were taken from 20 May. The intention was to prevent infection rates rising to around 300 as happened in Bolton. This was said to be “…a race against time” with “…a two to three week window” by David Regan. Infection rates for Manchester were around 45 on 17 May and 285 on 12 June.
Thanks to Joanna Midgley, Manchester City Council Executive member with responsibility for health for talking to Jeremy Hoad, LCA Secretary and providing the community briefing note. Unfortunately no Levenshulme councillors have been available over the past month to discuss these matters.
Continue readingLevenshulme Community Association has asked all candidates in the 2021 local elections for statements. As always we have included both Levenshulme Ward and Burnage Ward because the ward boundaries run across our community. The statements are listed in the order candidates will appear on the ballot paper. The text of all statements is reproduced below as submitted by the candidates.
The official declaration of candidates can be found on the Manchester City Council website for Levenshulme HERE and for Burnage HERE.
Levenshulme Ward (5 candidates)
Burnage Ward (5 candidates)
Levenshulme Ward
JEREMY HOAD (Independent)
Hello. I have lived in Levenshulme for almost 20 years. I love the people. I love the place.
Levenshulme is a special place with a strong diverse community that I am proud to be part of. However, many people tell me they do not feel they are being listened to, they are being taken for granted and problems persist year after year. I think we deserve better.
I will be an independent voice for Levenshulme, standing up for the priorities that we have as a community. Listening to everyone and fighting for you regardless of who you are.
I have never stood for election before or been a member of a political party and believe local politics should be about people, not parties. I am someone who knows the area, lives round the corner and who you can rely on to be open, honest and accessible.
I fought against the council’s proposals to close our baths and library and helped secure the new Arcadia facility. I am Secretary of Levenshulme Community Association and organise Levenshulme Pride, the largest free local Pride in Manchester. I have celebrated with you, been at vigils with you, campaigned with you and have challenged our councillors and council, holding them to account.
It would be an honour to represent Levenshulme as a councillor and to fight to make Levenshulme the best it can be. This is my community, your community, our community.
Think local. Be independent. Vote Jeremy Hoad on May 6.
ZAHID HUSSAIN (Labour Party)
I’m Zahid Hussain and I’m the Labour candidate representing the Labour Party in Levenshulme. I’m a working dad with three young children. I run school literacy projects to inspire underprivileged children to become young Shakespeares.
There’s a lot to love about Levenshulme. Here local residents have launched projects like Levenshulme Clean Air and Barlow Road Community Orchard, two shining examples of the Mancunian spirit.
But sadly, Levenshulme faces challenges:
– Litter louts and fly-tipping fools cause misery. I will work with residents, community groups and businesses to sweep out the rubbish.
– Reckless drivers put everyone’s life at risk. I will work with Greater Manchester Police, the Community Safety Team, and residents to make Levenshulme safer.
– Manchester City Council has declared a Climate Emergency. We must make strides in getting the neighbourhood active and I encourage parents and children where it’s safe to walk to school.
– The Pandemic has hurt families, driven up unemployment and increased poverty. Food Banks are a lifeline to many, and I will work with local groups to get the resources they deserve. No child should go hungry in our city.
The ruling Conservatives have crippled the NHS. Today we live in a world of zero-hour contracts, endemic homelessness, few affordable homes, and rising hate crime. What’s the answer to this mess? A Labour government which puts communities first.
If elected on 6 May I will diligently represent Levenshulme and help make it an even better place in which to live, work and play.
GREG SAMMONS (Liberal Democrats)
Levenshulme Station needs Access for All.
For the last year, I have been in contact with TfGM, Network Rail and Northern; arguing the case for Levenshulme, after it emerged that Heaton Chapel got funding for long overdue accessibility. Wheelchair users still can’t catch a train, I’ve seen cyclists clambering to carry their bike up to the platforms and people with mobility issues would really struggle. Manchester City Council lacks ambition but Andy Burnham has finally cottoned on. I will fight to make sure that Levenshulme station is top of any Greater Manchester list.
Levenshulme Active Neighbourhood is a fantastic idea, poorly delivered.
Despite delays in consultations and getting things set up, it still seemed to come as a surprise to so many when it was finally implemented, with no explanation of how potential later phases might alleviate issues on boundary roads. Manchester City Council lacks ambition but I would work with them to establish better consultation and communication as we near the end of this trial period.
I am invested in making Levenshulme a better place.
I am the chair of Levenshulme Inspire Foundation, a charity serving our unique and diverse community. I’m a school governor at St Andrews, which my daughter attends. I was part of a group of local residents who organised a campaign to install a pop-up bike lane along Stockport Road using government money last summer. I have campaigned alongside Clean Air Levenshulme for School Streets. Manchester City Council lacks ambition but I don’t.
ALEXANDRU STANCU (The Conservative Party Candidate)
I am running as candidate because I want accountability from our Local governence. Labour also seem to only pass the blame for their obvious failings are down to “cuts”, but ask yourself this: “How have Conservative councils with the same “cuts” elsewhere managed their finances to produce infinitely better local services than Manchester?”
The answer is that it is actually down to 25 years of uninterrupted local mismanagement. They treat residents with lofty contempt, believing they can take our votes for granted. We, on the other hand, are committed to fighting for the interests of everyone left behind by Labour. So if elected, my priorities are:
– Tackling crime. Manchester has one of the worst crime rates in Britain, with just 3% of crimes prosecuted. Police should be on beat and not the tweet.
– Stopping our local green spaces being sold off, like Nutsford Vale – being earmarked for development. Disregarding resident’s wishes to create a wildlife haven and wasting millions of pounds spent re-purposing the area into a wonderful conservation area.
– Restore/preserve our heritage site. Manchester City Council has the worst record when it comes to looking after our civic heritage, just look at Levenshulme Library back in 2016. I vow to restore our neglected heritage areas for tourists and residents alike to enjoy.
– Encourage educational opportunities for children of every background via partnership & outreach programmes.
On May 6, YOUR vote can have a critical difference to the political future for Levenshulme and for Manchester.
Your Sincerely,
Dr Alexandru Stancu
Conservative Candidate for Levenshulme
DICK VENES (The Green Party)
Once again, I’m the Green Party candidate for Levenshulme ward because I think it’s important for citizens to have the opportunity to vote for a party which places care of the Earth’s environment and people at the heart of its policies.
A healthy Green vote will act as a signal to Manchester’s Labour Council that the citizens of Levenshulme wish the protection of the local and global environments, including big issues such as climate change, to feature much more strongly in the Council’s actions.
Manchester’s political leaders often claim a link to Manchester’s radical past. In my view, this has been lost in the mists of time as the Council has embraced conventional economic theories of continuous ‘economic growth’ at the expense of an increasing inequality of citizens, and increasing adverse environmental impacts, particularly climate change.
At a local level, Levenshulme deserves better action on:
If elected, these will be my main areas of interest.
I have lived in the area for over 40 years. Now retired, my main career was as a brewer, latterly at Joseph Holt’s. I have always been involved in community organisations, including spells on the committees of sports clubs, as a cycling campaigner, and an active member of the Friends of the Fallowfield Loop.
Thanks to the LCA for organising one of the few ward hustings held in advance of the local elections!
—Levenshulme Ward Statements End—
Burnage Ward
BRIAN CANDELAND (The Green Party)
Brian has been a member of the Green Party for almost forty years and has lived in South Manchester for the past thirty-six years. Over the years he has represented the Party in elections at local, Parliamentary and European level. He is currently Chair of the Greater Manchester Green Parties Federation.
Now retired, his other interests include amateur dramatics and walking. He is a member of Friends of the Fallowfield Loop.
Brian’s priorities if elected include affordable housing and improving the local environment including protecting green spaces. He wants to see better, more-integrated public transport, cleaner air, and improved walking and cycling. He strongly supports the principle of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods but feels they need better consultation than has been the case in the Levenshulme Burnage area. Brian said “We must treat the climate emergency with the seriousness which it deserves, and all our policies must be built on that. “Burnage is an interesting, diverse and underrated part of the City with historic and beautiful areas; it would be an honour to serve the people of Burnage as a city councillor.”
BEV CRAIG (Labour Party)
I am so proud to have been a Burnage Councillor for the last 10 years and I hope with your support I can continue delivering for our local area.
Moving to Manchester from Belfast, I love our city and having lived in Burnage and Levenshulme for over a decade, I’m passionate about making it an even better place to live.
The last decade of Tory and Lib Dem cuts has been hard for our city and the council had £400million axed from its budget. Despite this I’ve stood up for our area, representing you and getting stuff done. I have championed reducing poverty, affordable housing, health, and equality causes.
This last year has been tough for us all. As the Cabinet Member For Health and Wellbeing, I’ve overseen the city’s response to the COVID crisis and am so proud of how our city and local communities like ours came together, so I want to say thank you.
Pledges: A local Labour voice, standing up for you
I always want to hear your views, please get in touch: cllr.bev.craig@manchester.gov.uk
JAMIE DWAN (Liberal Democrats)
Manchester is a fantastic city. We are a real home for culture, innovation, and a melting pot of ideas and cultures. I’m proud to have been born here and to live in the south of the city to this day, and I love living in a community with such variety.
However, our city has real issues. Growth is a good thing, but too often, too few people have seen the benefits of Manchester’s expansion. In my eyes, a large contributing factor to this is the lack of transparency and accountability at City Hall. Manchester has been a one-party state for too long, and we need change.
The Liberal Democrats have always been the main voice of opposition to Labour in Manchester, and to this day fight the corner for transparency, decency, and to create a Council that listens. That fierce localist spirit is what attracted me to the Lib Dems, and is what I want to bring to the table at City Hall.
If elected as your next City Councillor, I will be a tireless voice of opposition in holding Labour to account. I will bolster the opposition group and bring a fresh, younger perspective to the table. I’ll also be sure to deliver a regular FOCUS newsletter and update on my activities to Burnage residents and keep in touch all year round, not just at election time.
I hope that you consider voting for me as a much-needed voice of opposition at City Hall!
SHAHED HOSSAIN (The Conservative Party Candidate)
I moved to Manchester in 2005, after I completed my BSc on Business Management at Roehampton University. Since then I have been an engaged member of the community: doing charity work; being a member of the Darussalm Mosque in Longsight; and have volunteering over 422 hours to the NHS to help them response to the ongoing pandemic.
If elected, my priorities will be:
More transparency within council management: Labour has abandoned any attempt to create balanced communities in Manchester and treated with contempt people whose votes they believe can be taken for granted.
To hold the Labour council accountable. They tell everyone their obvious failings are down to “Tory cuts”, yet countless other councils are able to do more for their residents with less money.
Relieve the city’s badly congested road network – we need a transport service that can get us across and around Manchester not just a funnelled service which leads to/from the city centre going down a few main roads.
Combat fly-tipping – we need to return to more regular bin collection from monthly to fortnightly. We also need to ease access to tips and reduce the permit charge, a policy which has directly led to increased fly-tipping. The emphasis should be shifted to community service/fines to those found guilty of fly-tipping.
Do not accept yet another year of abuse and neglect of our city. Vote Conservative on 6th may and let’s foster a new age of pride and opportunity in Manchester.
Your Faithfully,
Md Shahed Hossian Your Humble, Conservative Candidate for Burnage
ANDREA TIMONEY (Independent)
Hi, my name is Andrea Timoney, and I am standing as an independent candidate for the Burnage ward in 2021. I am passionate about the area and it would be a privilege to represent Burnage if elected on 6th May.
Burnage is a great place to live, but there are always things we’d like to improve. I have lived here for six years and I can see the great projects which happen all over Burnage and the positive changes that can come about when residents and community groups work together locally.
If I am elected as your councillor I would like to focus on key areas such as:
– Roads and transport – promoting speed reduction measures in the ward to improve pedestrian safety and addressing the bus service reduction locally
– Crime and safety – working with GMP to get more PCs and PCSOs patrolling in Burnage
– Investment in youth services – working with schools and community groups to identify gaps in youth provision and promote the development of facilities for younger people as a long term investment in the area.
Being independent means I don’t answer to a political party. Instead, I promise to listen to residents and always fight for what is best for us.
Working with fellow independent candidate Jeremy Hoad in the Levenshulme ward, we will be working across the whole of M19 to benefit all of our community because I really feel we deserve better.
Please get in touch with me on Andrea.BurnageM19@gmail.com
Join our Facebook Group ‘M19 Independents’
—Burnage Ward Statements End—
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:
The Council says:
Continue reading“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
Applications for discretionary grants for small businesses close TODAY at 10pm.
Please see below for full details and a link to apply.
Continue readingPlease note the following announcement from Manchester City Council:
“To protect the health of residents the Councillor’s advice surgeries have been suspended until it is felt it is safe for them to resume. This page will be updated when that happens. Until then, please use the email and telephone contact details.”
Councillor contact details are available HERE.
Manchester City Council have now launched a section on their website with advice and information.