A report published this week lists people’s concerns over plans for the 23,500-capacity entertainment hub next to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.
Developers Oak View Group (OVG) plan to invest £350 million into the US-style venue. They hope it will attract some of the world’s biggest music and sporting events. But the public consultation has raised more than 580 objections over the 5.5-acre site, from both residents and businesses in the area.
Many locals say they already have enough disturbances on match days. The report highlighted upsets over traffic, illegal parking, noise and light pollution, littering and damage to the local environment.
View of the campus. Image: OVG
Summarised in the report, one Beswick resident said: “The traffic modelling does not properly take into account the impacts nor the impact of other major events at the campus and in the local area.”
Others expressed worries over the environment saying: “It is not clear how this project fits in with carbon objectives for the city and the climate change emergency.”
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Proposed landscaping along Ashton Canal. Image: OVG
OVG admits there will be “localised impacts” as a result of the arena, but say they’d be limited to the campus site itself.
In the report, OVG set out how they will tackle the concerns. These include a travel plan and parking strategies to minimise road disruption, landscaping to the nearby Ashton Canal to preserve local ecology, noise monitoring, plus support from a specially appointed community liaison officer who will act as a go-to contact.
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But there are also fears for Manchester’s city centre music economy. Some say it will drag customers away from the likes of Academy, the O2 and the newly rebranded AO Arena (formerly Manchester Arena). In March, AO Arena put in its own planning application for renovations.
New AO Arena plans. Image: AO Arena
OVG maintain that the Eastlands Arena will cater for a different crowd, stating: “The pursuit of larger events than those hosted by the [AO Arena] and targeting more genuinely international music and family events, makes a clear differentiation in the planned market focus compared to the existing markets of the [AO Arena].”
Through market research, OVG have put forward a firm case for a second arena. Their findings suggest that over 20 years the two arenas will generate up to £1.5 billion for the UK economy.
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But that hasn’t stopped loyal Mancs pointing out the lack of support for the city’s current music scene. One resident said: “There should be, in the wake of the pandemic, support for existing entertainment venues, pubs, bars, restaurants and shops.”
Eastlands Arena from below. Image: OVG
For the public, it seems the jury is out. But the plans go to committee on September 24 where the council will decide if it will get the go ahead.
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Noughties throwback Lemar announces special 20th anniversary gigs in Manchester and London
Danny Jones
The one and only Lemar is back now only with new album but two special shows to mark his 20th anniversary in music.
A chart-topping, BRIT and MOBO award-winning artists who rose to popularity in the early 2000s, Lemar has sold millions of albums worldwide and is now returning with his first new record in nearly eight years.
Having released his latest 80s funk inspired new single, ‘Future Love’, today (7 February) and officially announced his upcoming seventh album, Page In My Heart, the noughties pop and R&B artist is back on the scene and thought it only fit to pay tribute to 20 years in the biz.
Two decades on from his debut album, Dedicated, Lemar is hosting a pair of anniversary shows in London and right here in Manchester. Now this is going to be quite the throwback.
Best know for hit tracks like ‘It’s Not That Easy’, ’50/50′, ‘What About Love?’, ‘Another Day’ and many more, the 44-year-old returns to the stage with a new sound but one that also calls back to his roots and early work.
Speaking in a statement, Lemar says: “With this new album, I wanted to make something for anyone who ever bought Dedicated, as this year is 20 years since its release. I thought I’d like to make something for the people who got behind that album, something that they would appreciate and like.
Descirbing his new single, he went on to say, “it’s more uptempo, it’s got that soulful feel, it’s a bit looser, a bit Chaka Khan. A bit ‘Dance (With U)’… it’s got that kind of energy to it.”
The Tottenham-born singer hasn’t been ‘away’ per se, having continued to perform up and down the country in recent years, but both he and his fans have been waiting “patiently” to get the right collection of songs together to release new material.
His last album, The Letter, released back in 2015 and delighted die-hards but he says this latest project is about reconnecting with his fans, insisting that “it really is a page from my heart.”
Lemar will celebrate two decades of music and the 20th anniversary of Dedicated live with two special nights at O2 Ritz here in Manchester and London indigo at The O2 on the 27 and 28 of April, respectively. You best believe we’ll be getting one.
Tickets go on sale on 10 February at 10am. Tickets will be available HERE and at Ticketmaster.
Neighbourhood Weekender announces massive warm-up show with Ian Brown, Happy Mondays and more
Danny Jones
Neighbourhood Weekender has announced a warm-up show on the Friday before the festival proper kicks off, with the likes of Ian Brown, Happy Mondays and more already confirmed.
With Neighbourhood 2023 set for the weekend of 27-28 May as festival season gets into full swing, the increasingly popular Victoria Park-based crowd-pleaser is effectively starting a day early with their ‘Live At The Big Top’ event.
Although the local favourite has previously put on a number of performances on the Friday before the Warrington Weekender as we know it, this is the first time this event has been held and will serve as a warm-up show for the impending gig-goers.
What better way to get the party going?
We're so excited to announce Neighbourhood Weekender presents ‘Live At The Big Top’ featuring @ianbrown, @Happy_Mondays, @castofficial & @CVCband_ at Victoria Park, Warrington Fri 26th May!😎
Effectively acting as a warm-up party for the main event, the North West crowd will be treated to the likes of 80s and 90s Manc music icons Ian Brown and Happy Mondays, as well Liverpool indie band Cast and up-and-coming Welsh psych-rock band, CVC, a.k.a. Church Village Collective.
The lineup also denotes a landmark occasion, with this being the first time that Brown and Happy Mondays — two of pioneering artists of the ‘Madchester‘ scene — are sharing the same bill in their long and illustrious careers. Well, aren’t you a lucky lot?
While we’d say this is an absolute must if you truly want to make a full go of Neighbourhood Weekender, this is technically a separate event and it’s well worth attending if you can’t make it on the Saturday or Sunday for whatever reason.
Tickets go on sale at 9.30am on Friday, 10 February. You can grab yours HERE.