128 new homes in Ancoats have been approved by Manchester’s planning committee in the first of a new council housing development project.
Manchester City Council explains that the green light given to the first phase of the new ‘This City’ development will include 118 apartments across two buildings, alongside 10 townhouses – which will have either three or four bedrooms.
The apartments will be a mix of 27 one-bedroom and 91 two-bedroom homes.
30% of the homes will be made available at the Manchester Living Rent, which is capped at the Government’s Local Housing Allowance rate and is therefore “affordable to residents on housing benefit”, according to the Council.
This will increase the number of homes available to people on lower incomes in the city centre, while the remainder will be available at market rent.
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The development brings back into use a Brownfield site bound by Rodney Street, Jersey Street, Wadeford Close, and Butler Street on the border of Ancoats and Miles Platting.
128 new homes in Ancoats have been approved by Manchester’s planning committee / Credit: This City / Buttress
As well as the homes sitting in a “highly sustainable location” close to the city centre, which give residents the option of walking, cycling, and using public transport to access local services and employment, the town houses will also each include a parking space with electric vehicle charging points, and private gardens to the rear.
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There’ll also be plenty of space for bicycle parking, and the addition of The Mobility Hub – a new concept that the Council says will centralise and reduce the need for onsite car parking, as well as limiting traffic in the wider neighbourhood.
£32 million will be invested in the wider public realm, and a greening scheme will also see Ancoats become a low-carbon sustainable neighbourhood – with a focus on active travel, walking, and cycling routes.
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1,500 homes are expected to be delivered in this area in the coming years as the final phase of the regeneration of Ancoats, the Council confirms.
30% of the homes will be made available at the Manchester Living Rent / Credit: This City / Buttress
“It’s great to see the first This City site out of the blocks and delivering the homes that we know Manchester people need,” said Cllr Bev Craig – Leader of Manchester City Council.
“Our intention is to scale up development to at least 500 homes per year and at least 20percent of these will be made available at the Manchester Living Rent – delivering high quality, affordable housing for families on lower incomes.
“This is a really exciting time for Ancoats and the beginning of the completion of a regeneration journey spanning two decades.”
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
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TGI Fridays to close even more UK locations as franchise falls further into administration
Danny Jones
Yes, American export and multinational TGI Fridays is closing even more locations across the UK following the previous batch of restaurant shutdowns.
This comes after Liberty Bar and Restaurant Group, the parent company which oversees the global TGI Fridays franchise, filed a third notice to appoint administrators this week.
Founded way back in 1965 and opening in the UK by the 80s – 1990 here in Manchester, to be specific – the New York-born diner brand continues to struggle all over Great Britain.
The only city centre TGIs was hit by the first raft of closures in October 2024, and now another Greater Manchester branch is on the chopping block.
TGIs Preswitch and Royal Exchange have both been shut for some time (Credit: David Dixon/The Manc)
Announced on Wednesday, 14 January, a further 16 TGI Fridays restaurants are shutting down imminently amid administration.
Totalling just 33 transatlantic venues left, this also means the loss of around 450 jobs, though the company insists they believe it to be the best decision to help “reinvigorate” the brand.
In a statement, Global President of TGI Fridays, Phil Broad, said: “We’ve been working closely to explore all available options for securing the long-term future of TGI Fridays in the UK, and believe that this is the best outcome for the business, preserves jobs, and offers a strong platform for success and growth.
As per an official press release shared on Monday, TGI bosses are hoping to reassert their presence in the American bar and grill scene as well as casual dining culture with a “bold new 1-2-3 strategic vision.”
Meanwhile, you can see the full list of TGI Fridays sites closing in Great Britain down below:
It seems that the entities within the hospitality sector, no matter how big or small, are still being struck by rising business rates, inflation and the general cost of living crisis.
I suggest you speak to your team @RachelReevesMP … an emergency cut in VAT is the ONLY lever you have to save thousands of Hospitality businesses folding. Much of Europe has VAT rates 10-13% to support their Hospitality industry.
For now, at least, the now only remaining regional TGI Fridays in the Trafford Centre (which has been there since 1998) is set to stay open.
In the case of the site in Tameside, the 36-year-old spot has unfortunately closed with immediate effect.
As for those sadly now without a job, it’s absolutely gutting – sending love and support from everyone here at The Manc Group, and we hope other parties at Ashton Leisure Park will step in to help when and where they can.
This is far from the only recognisable name closing down local venues, either…
Greater Manchester council tax to be increased again to help fund improvements to policing
Emily Sergeant
Council tax could be increased across Greater Manchester to help fund improvements to policing.
Once again, just as they have been for the past couple of years, residents across Greater Manchester are being urged to have their say on proposals to increase the police precept that forms part of their council tax bill.
The police precept helps Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to build on a range of improvements, including the speed of answering 999 and 101 calls, road and transport safety across Manchester city centre, and bringing more sex offenders to justice, among many other things.
The Mayor for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, is dedicated to delivering on community promises and making greater Manchester a safer place to be.
To continue excelling as one of the best police forces in the country, we want to understand what matters most to you about local… pic.twitter.com/7d5OhVXF7P
GMCA says its ‘top priority’ is to build strong communities where people feel safe, and it is Mayor Andy Burnham and his Deputy Mayors’ responsibility to enable GMP to be an ‘effective and efficient’ police force.
To maintain the investment required for policing to protect the public, GMCA has proposed an increase to the police precept by £11.66 per year (£0.97 a month) for a Band B property, which would equate to £15 per year (£1.25 a month) for a Band D property.
80% of households in Greater Manchester are in Bands A-C, just to provide some context.
As a result of last year’s police precept increases, GMP says it was able to reduce neighbourhood crime by 15% across all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester, and overall, there was an increase in trust and confidence, with around 65% of local residents saying they were ‘confident’ they could get help from GMP in an emergency.
If the police precept is to be increased this year, as GMCA hopes, the ambition is to maintain a ‘high performing’ police service, and enable GMP to build on its track record of improvement.
Greater Manchester council tax could be increased again to help fund improvements to policing / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
“We need GMP to be properly funded if it is to continue to deliver an effective and responsive service for people in Greater Manchester,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham.
“The cost of running a modern police force is going up and this is at a time when our city region has become the fastest-growing economy in the UK, with visitor numbers increasing year after year.
“So much is happening here and that includes a number of major and complex incidents over the past year, including a terrorist attack. These incidents added significant pressure to police resources.
“We recognise the ongoing impact of the rising cost of living and do not take the decision to increase the precept lightly. But right now, this increase is our only option to ensure GMP can continue delivering an effective police service that ensures that people feel safe in their own communities.”
The Greater Manchester public can respond to the police precept consultation online at www.gmconsult.org until next Wednesday 21 January.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd September 2022 
