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Failsworth man who advertised fly-tipping services on Facebook handed hefty fine

He was also ordered to pay victim surge charges and hundreds of pounds in additional costs.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 7th November 2023

A Failsworth man who advertised his fly-tipping services on social media has been prosecuted and handed a hefty fine.

John Mallon had been promoting his business, which went by the name of ‘JM Waste Disposal Services’, on Facebook for quite some time, all before he was caught in the act by waste disposal crews.

Two separate occasions of rubbish being collected from residents across Greater Manchester and illegally-dumped in Harpurhey were traced back to the 42-year-old.

It all happened when a team of Biffa operatives – who working on behalf of Manchester City Council – first found fly-tipped waste on Council land at Smedley Road and Monsall Street in Harpurhey, and then uncovered evidence that related to a number of individuals in Manchester.

It was those individuals that eventually told the Environmental Crimes team that they’d paid Mr Mallon to dispose of their waste.   

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Smedley Road and Monsall Street in Harpurhey, where rubbish was illegally dumped by Mr Mallon / Credit: Google Maps

Mr Mallon was then asked to attend a recorded interview under the Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Act 1984 – but he denied the offences under caution.  

However, at a subsequent hearing at Manchester Magistrates Court last Thursday (2 November 2023), he pleaded guilty to two offences of failing to take steps to prevent the waste being fly-tipped under the Environmental Protection Act 1990,

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He then handed a hefty fine of £1,550, and was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £155, and costs of £800 too.

“It never ceases to amaze me that people can be so brazen,” Councillor Joanna Midgley, who is the Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said after the hearing last week.

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“Advertising waste removal services and then just dumping the waste, blighting our neighbourhoods and expecting the Council to pick up the tab to remove it, will not be tolerated. 

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“Fly-tipping is an environmental crime, and we will always take action against anyone who commits this crime in our communities.”

Featured Image – Manchester City Council

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Fans are preparing to pay tribute to Mani from The Stone Roses ahead of his funeral service

Danny Jones Danny Jones pay tribute to Mani funeral plans procession route Manchester

Stone Roses fans and Greater Manchester locals alike are getting ready to pay their respects to the late, great, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, following his tragic passing last month.

As well as details surrounding his funeral being announced earlier this week, the iconic Manc musician’s cause of death has also finally been revealed.

Mani was sadly confirmed dead on 20 November, aged just 63, just over a month on from attending fellow local legend and friend Ricky Hatton’s memorial and public procession.

While Hatton’s service featured a high-profile cortège which started all the way from his hometown of Hyde, past multiple landmarks and ending at the Etihad Stadium, those local to Mani’s family home on the edge of Stockport are also being welcomed to help send him off.

It has now been confirmed that Mani – born in Crumpsall but raised in Moston and Failsworth – unfortunately passed away from long-term respiratory issues.

He had been struggling with emphysema for some time; he was declared dead at his home in the suburb of Heaton Moor, and is said to have died peacefully in his sleep.

As you can see from the posters put in various places around the area, residents wishing to pay their own tributes to Mani before his private funeral service at Manchester Cathedral are encouraged to line the long street leading down from St Paul’s and Heaton Moor United Church as he heads towards the city.

Departing Parsonage Road from 10am on Monday, 22 December, before turning right onto Heaton Moor Rd, then Wellington and eventually on to the Cathedral, you can expect plenty of people to show up.

One of those people will be his former bandmate and another influential guitarist, John Squire, who is one of many famous musical names to have honoured him in their own way over the last few weeks.

Other members of The Stone Roses, as well as Primal Scream (who he joined in 1996), are expected to join the close family and friends at the service itself.

Nevertheless, we have no doubt that plenty will be observing the funeral in their own way.

So, for those of you also looking to honour him, you know what to do; and to quote the poster itself, “together we can show this local legend and his family that he was truly adored.”

Rest in peace.

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Featured Images — @gachayatta (via X)/@aktivioslo (via Flickr)

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Plans to transform Chorlton’s old shopping centre have been green-lit

Danny Jones Danny Jones Chorlton Cross Shopping Centre being redeveloped

Yes, after a prolonged period of uncertainty, the plans put together for redeveloping Chorlton Cross Shopping Centre are now moving forward.

Following an extensive consultation period back in 2023 and planning permission having now been approved by Manchester City Council, the transformation of the long-neglected retail complex has been green-lit, and the project will be moving forward even sooner than you think.

As confirmed earlier this week, Stretford-based construction company PJ Livesey will be working in tandem with the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to deliver the major regeneration, which will see even more living spaces and leisure facilities arrive in the already thriving suburb.

Following an official press release on Thursday, 18 December, we’ve now been given a latest glimpse at what the developers are hoping the new Chorlton Cross district will look like.

new chorlton cross plans CGI pics
Credit: Font Communications (supplied)

Plans for the transformation of both the high street and the old Leisure Centre date back to 2023 and even further when taking into account the Council asking the public for their thoughts on what should happen with the area, but Chorlton Cross, specifically, has been the subject of debate for some time.

The bulk of units in and around the largely forgotten shopping centre are now empty, with just a few hold-outs still clinging on to their space.

You can find countless videos on YouTube, TikTok and other social media platforms of people touring the once bustling but now abandoned main square.

Now, following extensive feedback from native Mancs and those who have flooded into the South Manchester town over the past decade, the approved plans have now been revealed.

They include:

  • A mix of 262 one, two and three-bed apartments, all with access to outdoor space through balconies and gardens
  • 20% affordable homes available through a mix of tenures, with 18.5% of these being available for social rent
  • Around 3,500 sq metres of public open space, including a fully walkable route through Manchester Rd and outdoor seating areas to encourage people to stop and dwell
  • A mix of flexible retail spaces, such as a new ‘Makers Yard’ suitable for smaller, start-up businesses
  • Up to 60 new trees across the site with maximised retention of existing trees

Manc filmmaker, Bernard Leach – who has been making videos about the region since 2007 – shared a longer look at how the vision for this next chapter in Chorlton‘s residential and retail history is currently shaping up earlier this month.

As you can see, some sections of the old Lancashire village and ‘cum-Hardy’ parish could look rather unrecognisable sooner than you think.

Should everything go ahead as scheduled, those involved are hoping to get work underway in the New Year, with the ‘decommissioning’ of all existing buildings, including Graeme House, undergoing demolition by early 2026.

With the majority vacating their premises in recent years, it’s fair to say that it’s been vastly underutilised for far too long.

Posting on social media back in September last year, nearby resident Nigel Woodcock wrote: “Serious question, not just councillor-baiting, but can anyone explain why the retail businesses in Chorlton Precinct were booted out before any decisions were made about what’s going to happen to it?

“It makes no sense to me. No plans have even been submitted, so far as I’m aware, so why kick out those businesses and leave it derelict for so long? The land and buildings are actually owned by the combined GM Local Authorities, so one might expect a modicum of political and business nous to be applied.”

Similar to the new plans being put together for the stretch of land between Castlefield and Salford, most are just glad something is finally happening with the space.

Plans unveiled for new ‘island district’ in Manchester

Commenting on the plans progressing, PJ Livesey’s Managing Director, Georgina Lynch, said in an official statement: “This is a landmark moment for Chorlton, marking the transformation of the former
shopping centre into a vibrant new hub for the community.

“Working closely with Manchester City Council, we’ve carefully balanced the delivery of much-needed new homes – including 20% affordable – with the creation of lively, welcoming spaces to shop, relax, and spend time.

“This site is at the heart of Chorlton, and we’re bringing it back to life, cementing the area’s reputation as a truly great place to live.”

What do you make of the Chorlton Cross Shopping Centre regeneration plans?

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Featured Images — Nigel Woodcock (via Facebook)/CGI (supplied via Font Comms)

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