Manchester City Council has confirmed today that plans submitted to demolish part of the concrete wall in Piccadilly Gardens have now been approved.
Intention to demolish part of the wall was first revealed to the public back in early March.
The council submitted a planning application for the removal of the small, curved section of the wall that it owns and separates the gardens from the bus station on Parker Street last month, and leaders say it will be the first stage in a major overhaul of the city centre’s largest public square.
At present, there has been no date set for when the work will be carried out, but the council’s city centre spokesperson Cllr Pat Karney said he hopes it will be “in the next few weeks”.
He said: “We’ve waited for this for over a decade,”
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“It’s a symbol of the renewal of Piccadilly Gardens – it’s the first step but there’s a lot more to come.”
According to the MEN, it’s believed that around £2 million has been allocated for the demolition work – as well as carrying out surveys, design work, and a public consultation on how to improve Piccadilly Gardens – after many years of complaints about crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.
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Although the budget for the full revamp has not yet been finalised, it is understood to be in the region of £10 million.
Geograph / Gerald England
The demolition work to dismantle part of the infamous wall – which has unfortunately become known as a notorious hotspot for drug-dealing, the congregation of large groups to congregate and the scene of violent incidents – is not not anticipated to cause major disruption to the area.
It has however been said that work may affect the adjacent tram stop however.
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Officials said that removing the wall will improve “sight lines” in the gardens, which will make it easier for police to monitor the area and discourage criminal behaviour.
Speaking on the initial announcement of demolition plans earlier this year, Sir Richard Leese – Leader of Manchester City Council – said: “This is a key step in the transformation of Piccadilly Gardens. We have been listening to people’s views about the area and we are determined, working with principal landlords, businesses, residents and property owners in the nearby area, to support changes to make it a thriving and welcoming place.
“We know we have got to start investing in the area now to deliver a space which meets the aspirations of Manchester people.
“The fact that we are planning to commit so much funding to the first phase of the scheme alone hopefully underlines the extent of our commitment.”
There has been no further indication as to whether the rest of the wall is to be demolished in due course.
Further information can be found via the Manchester City Council website here.
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Body of woman found in River Mersey last year finally identified after ‘extensive’ investigation
Emily Sergeant
The body of woman who was found in the River Mersey last year has finally been identified.
Following what has been described as an ‘extensive investigation’ by Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team to determine the identity of the body, which was sadly discovered in the river adjacent to Chorlton Water Park on 21 March 2024, the family of the victim has now been informed and supported by specialist officers.
The victim has been formally named as 38-year-old Laura Stanley, who was originally from Derbyshire but was living in Stockport.
After the body was discovered, and ‘exhaustive and determined’ investigation by GMP officers began to identify here, including detailed checks of both national and international databases.
The Major Incident Team (MIT) also closely worked in collaboration with specialist forensic service providers to create an anthropological profile, which eventually culminated in the creation of a facial reconstruction image.
Following several media appeals, a relative of Laura contacted officers and then a DNA match was confirmed through a familial link.
“Laura was a kind and gentle person with a great sense of fun and adventure,” Laura’s family said in a heartbreaking tribute to her.
“She was generous, thoughtful, caring and always keen to volunteer within the community. Laura was a proud and loving mum and she will be greatly missed by her girls and all of her friends and family who loved her dearly.”
The River Mersey, across from Chorlton Water Park, where Laura’s body was discovered / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
While Laura has now been identified, police say further investigations will take place to understand her last movements, the events that led to her death, and her discovery in the river.
Additionally, as is standard practice, GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate is also reviewing a previous missing report relating to Laura in the time before the discovery of her body, which will determine prior contact relating to Laura, and whether the appropriate measures were enacted.
#UPDATE | A woman who was discovered in the River Mersey last year has been identified following an extensive investigation by officers in GMP’s Major Incident Team.
Thank you to those of you who have shared our appeals over the last year.
Anyone who knew Laura and thinks they may be able to assist with the investigation is asked to contact police by calling 101, or by using the Live Chat Service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log number 1191 of 21 March 2024.
Alternatively, you can contact the Major Incident Team Syndicate 3 directly on 0161 856 9479, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
It is currently believed that Laura was last seen around January 2024.
Featured Image – GMP
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More than 70,000 home buyers set to pay thousands after missing stamp duty relief deadline
Emily Sergeant
More than 70,000 home buyers across England are estimated to have missed the stamp duty relief deadline.
This sadly means they’ll be required to fork out thousands of pounds extra.
In case you hadn’t heard, up until yesterday (31 March 2025), anyone who was moving and had bought a home in the past was not required to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax, better-known as just stamp duty, on the portion of the property price up to £250,000.
But from today (1 April), this threshold has now fallen back to £125,000, which unfortunately means that property purchasers are facing an extra £2,500 in moving costs, on average.
While the end of the stamp duty relief will mostly affect those Greater Manchester buyers who had already previously purchased properties, first time buyers are sadly not exempt from the deadline changes too, as their current stamp duty threshold of £425,000 has now fallen back to £300,000 as of today.
Person holding the keys to a new house in their hand / Credit: Maria Ziegler (via Unsplash)
Given that the average property price for a first time buyer-type home is currently around £227,965, according to Rightmove, the new £300,000 threshold may hit those purchasing properties in more expensive areas – particularly the South East.
A third of those estimated 70,000 home buyers who have missed the deadline are thought to be first time buyers.
Leading property platform Rightmove published an analysis in February into just how much of an impact the end of the stamp duty relief would have on home buyers, all while calling on the UK Government to announce a short extension to the deadline to help people in the middle of the property purchasing process avoid potentially thousands of pounds in extra moving costs.
But despite these calls from industry leaders, there was no extension to the deadline announced in the last week’s latest Spring Statement.
“It’s extremely disappointing that the Government has not used the Spring Statement as an opportunity to extend the impending stamp duty deadline for those currently going through the home-moving process,” commented Rightmove’s property expert Colleen Babcock.
“We estimate over 70,000 people are going to miss the deadline and complete in April instead, and a third of those are first time buyers.”
The Manc -
14th August 2020 
