As global leaders meet in Glasgow to discuss the future of the planet, Andy Burnham is currently trending on Twitter after saying that northern England could “lead the next industrial revolution”.
Burnham made the statement over the weekend in a piece for The Mirror, in which he argued that he wants to “ensure climate justice goes hand in hand with social justice”.
He also pledged for Greater Manchester to try and reach net zero by 2038 – 12 years ahead of the government target of 2050.
Now he’s doubled down on those statements in a TV interview filmed with Sky’s Kay Burley, in which he said that COP26 “is the route to a lower cost of living for people”.
He explained, “if we retrofit people’s homes their energy bills can come right down and be more stable,”
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“We won’t get there without upfront costs […] but the thing is you can reduce the lifetime costs by putting in that upfront investment.
“So if you invest in an electric car it’s’ cheaper to run than a petrol or diesel car”.
He added that it was necessary that the government put in the upfront investment, but that that would, in turn, set northern leaders up to “hopefully reduce the cost of living for people”.
“I don’t think that message is getting over at the moment.”
“The drive to net-zero could be the way to level up the country, it could be the route to better public transport, better homes for people, jobs for people, doing all of that work on people’s homes, but I still feel we haven’t quite as a country got our message lined up properly on this.”
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He also told the presenter he didn’t think anyone is doing enough right now, before going on to say that “there’s a danger of [COP26] looking like a lot of entitled, wealthy people have come to lecture everybody about their lives.”
Agreeing, Burley interrupted to add, “They have […] they think, posh people, telling us what to do and I can’t afford to feed the kids.”
Burnham also managed to slip in a mention of his new bus proposals for the Greater Manchester region, which would see the introduction of new £1.50 ‘hopper’ fares.
These, he claimed, would give people a “real reason” to leave the car at home.
Murder investigation launched after injured woman found dead at house in Bolton
Emily Sergeant
A murder investigation has been launched following the death of a woman in Bolton.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that officers responded to reports of an assault on Yewdale Avenue in Bolton at around 3:15am yesterday morning (4 August 2026), and when they arrived on the scene, they found a woman who had ‘sustained injuries’ and was unresponsive
Despite the best efforts of emergency services, the woman – who is said to be in her 30s – was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody for questioning, police confirmed.
Police say they believe this is an ‘isolated incident’ with no wider public threat.
With a murder investigation now proceeding at pace, GMP is appealing to the public for information. They said in a statement: “We understand how troubling this news will be, and whilst formal identification has yet to take place, the believed family are being supported by specialist officers.”
“A scene will remain in place as officers continue the investigation and we will have an increased police presence in the area.
“I’d like to reassure you that this was an isolated incident that is not believed to pose a wider risk to the public, and we currently have a man in custody in relation to the incident.
“I urge anyone who may have information to support our enquiries to please come forward”.
Can you help? Anyone with information that may assist police enquiries is asked to contact GMP on 0161 856 2270, quoting log 321 of 04/08/26.
Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – Google Maps
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Work on Greater Manchester’s very own ‘Tebay-style’ motorway service station is finally underway
Danny Jones
You heard us right: the time has come for Greater Manchester to level up its service station game, as work on the long-talked-about Tebay-style venue over in Trafford has finally begun.
Those motorway trips are about to get even better.
We first heard about the vision to provide a brand-new Tatton Services back in March 2022, with the Westmorland Family – known not only for Tebay but the similarly popular Gloucester and Cairns Lodge equivalents – promising to deliver a new top-quality stop-off point in the region.
It’s one that people across the North West have been keeping a keen eye on ever since, and now the dial is finally moving on the major project. You can see more detailed images here:
With the Westmorlands and the official Tatton Estate agreeing a partnership that weighs heavily in the former’s favour, the new services will be located around the M56 near the Bowdon Roundabout in Altrincham.
Bordering the electoral ward of Trafford and Cheshire, it is set to be located between junctions seven and eight of the M6 motorway near neighbouring Millington and Rostherne.
It’s estimated to cost more than £65 million and will be one of the most expensive developments of its kind the country has ever seen, with only the pending Chalfont St Peter station by Extra Motorway Services Group set to be more expensive (approximately £90m).
As per Forecourt Trader, the blueprints include a dedicated 100-room hotel, one of their trademark farm shops that those travelling rave about so much, a petrol station, as well as 40 charging bays for electric vehicles. Service station facilities have come a long way since 1972, when Tebay first opened.
However, while plans are at long last getting underway, it will be arriving much later than expected, with the initial opening date slated for some time later this year; instead, it is now they are now aiming for spring 2028, meaning you’ll just have to make do with the OG for now.
We promise this was purely a coincidence on our way back from Kendal Calling 2026, by the way…
Speaking on behalf of family, the Tatton Services Proposal team, and members of the estate, Westmorland chair Sarah Dunning said in a recent statement on the update: “We’re very excited to bring our proper food offer and ethos to Cheshire.
“From day one, this is about creating something rooted in the local landscape and community. We have committed to working with at least 70 producers within 30 miles of the site – and we hope that number will grow as relationships flourish.
“We’re also creating over 400 skilled jobs for local people, alongside apprenticeships and training programmes designed to build meaningful, long-term careers in the food industry. Our ambition is not only to serve travellers but to create opportunities and lasting value for the communities around us.”
What do you make of the proposed plans for the ‘next Tebay‘?
Georgina Pellant -
2nd November 2021 
