News

Council announces plans to get Manchester’s rough sleepers off the streets this winter

Help is on hand.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 30th October 2024

A plan to get rough sleepers off the streets of Manchester and into temporary accommodation this winter has been published.

As the temperatures turn colder by the day, Manchester City Council has once again confirmed it will be working with local partners and health services to set out an action plan that makes sure no one experiencing street homelessness in Greater Manchester is left out in the cold this winter.

Even though there is year-round provision at Etrop Grange Hotel in Wythenshawe – which is funded by the Council, with support from Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) – dedicated to moving homeless people off the streets and into accommodation, with teams routinely walking around and connecting those in need with help, the winter always brings increased challenges.

This is why the Council’s efforts to support will be enhanced from this Friday (1 November), and a system of increased outreach will be introduced.

Councils across the UK are known to put cold weather plans in place each year, with the national benchmark for them to come into force being when temperatures are forecast to drop to zero or below for three or more consecutive nights – but here in Manchester, the temperature only needs to be forecast to drop below freezing for a single night for the plans to be activated.

The Council has published a plan to get Manchester’s rough sleepers off the streets this winter / Credit: Ethel Red (via Flickr)

When the weather is forecast to drop below zero, a severe weather emergency protocol will be called, and this leads to stepped-up support which operates until 4:30am.

This allows Council officers to support people into accommodation, paving the way to connect them with any additional support that they need, and to carry out a housing assessment that’ll help find them a suitable move-on pathway.  

“We work year-round to help people off the streets, giving them access to the support they need to help them get on with their lives,” explained Councillor Joanna Midgley, who is the Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council.

“However, as it gets colder, people are more likely to accept help and come inside.

“This is why we expand our outreach offer and our officers, along with partner agencies, work into the early hours seeking out people who have bedded down so that we can offer them the opportunity to come indoors and access additional support. 

Read more:

“This is especially important, as sometimes coming inside in cold weather is the impetus that they need to accept help that we, along with our partners, can provide, and it is often the first step on the road to a better, healthier future.”

Featured Image – Garry Knight (via Flickr)

News

More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson 104 counterfeit Labubus have been seized

More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.

The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.

The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.

The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).

Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.

Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.

What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds

They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.

Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.

“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.

“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”

Read more

Featured image: Oldham Council

Police issue response and update after ‘shocking’ BBC documentary on The Moors Murders airs

Bolton | 18/07/25

Feature | 27/06/25

News

Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.

Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.

Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.

Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.

First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.

The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)

Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.

The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times. 

Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road. 

Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained. 

As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)

These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.

The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.

“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.

Read more:

“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”

You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.

Featured Image – Pix4Free

More News

Manchester Storm call out fan and issue stadium ban after online comments

Crime

Manchester Storm ban supporter and condemn discriminatory behaviour after online comments

Outside Salford Lads and Girls Club

Art & Culture

Salford Lads and Girls Club to receive lifeline funding grant for ‘essential repairs’

Bury FC offering Morecambe fans free tickets

Bury

Bury FC offering free tickets to Morecambe fans amid ongoing club crisis

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches