Four properties that began collapsing into the street when a sinkhole opened up in Abbey Hey are set to be demolished.
As many as 17 homes on Walmer Street were evacuated when the Gorton neighbourhood was hit by adverse weather from Storm Christoph last month – with some terraced houses captured on camera crumbling into the road.
A vehicle was also swallowed by the tarmac during the heavy snowstorms on January 20, with properties being pulled into sinkholes just hours later.
One man was reportedly rescued from the vehicle with minor injuries, whilst affected houses on Walmer Street were evacuated before anyone was hurt.
Manchester City Council has now informed residents that four houses will have to be demolished.
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The decision was taken in order to “avoid further collapse and to ensure the safety of people living on the street.”
Demolition work on the road is expected to take around two weeks to complete.
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An investigation is also underway to determine the exact cause of the sinkhole.
The Council has said no more evacuations are currently required, but Building Control Officers will continue to review properties in the area to ensure they are safe.
United Utilities also published a statement saying that it has offered its engineering expertise to Manchester City Council.
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The company added: “Engineers will need to understand the ground conditions in the area but first it must be made safe and the hole must be stabilised to avoid further damage.
“Building control experts from the council are managing the site.”
The Manchester region has suffered serious damage due to sinkholes in the past – with enormous cavities opening up on Mancunian Way and Tib Street back in 2016.
News
Rising Manchester DJ issues heartfelt statement after Parklife set is cancelled over safety concerns
Daisy Jackson
Manchester DJ Josh Baker has issued a statement after his Parklife set was unexpectedly cancelled.
The rising star techno and house DJ was supposed to be playing on the brand-new Matinee stage on Sunday evening.
But his set attracted some huge crowds, not helped by the sudden downpour as his set was due to begin.
The area around Matinee became increasingly busy and Parklife announced that the Josh Baker performance would be paused on ‘the advice of safety team’.
Josh Baker has now issued a statement on social media to his followers as his Parklife set was due to end, signed off with a row of crying emojis.
He wrote: “Unfortunately I will not be performing at Parklife due to reason outside of my control.
Josh Baker has shared a statement after his Parklife set was cancelled. Credit: Instagram, @joshbaker
“I deeply apologise. I can’t really put into words what today was going to mean to me.”
Next on the Matinee stage should have been Chris Stussy, another name that was predicted to pull in a big crowd.
At the time of writing, The Matinee Stage remains closed but there are again large queues of fans waiting to re-enter the space.
Parklife pauses major DJ set on ‘advice of safety team’ as huge crowds swarm
Daisy Jackson
Parklife has announced it has paused one of the most hotly-tipped sets of the weekend ‘upon advice of the safety team’.
Josh Baker’s set on the brand-new Matinee stage has been attracting huge crowds from the late afternoon.
The Manchester-born DJ is a rising star in the tech and house scene and was always going to be a highlight of the festival’s line-up this year.
But his pull has maybe been a bit greater than expected, with massive crowds swarming around the Matinee stage on Sunday afternoon.
It’s been so busy that Parklife has made the decision to pause his show altogether while crowds disperse.
The warning sent on the Parklife appHow The Matinee stage looked on Saturday. Credit: The Manc Group
Security have been managing the crowds at the stage with a queue system, but when the heavens opened (and it REALLY rained at about 7pm) the area surrounding the Matinee stage became even busier.
Parklife has issued a statement on its app that reads: “Upon advice of the PL safety team, the show on the Matinee stage has been paused. We will update ASAP.”
Parklife has described Josh Baker as ‘a versatile DJ and producer, embodying the creative essence of the new wave of electronic artists’.
The Manc -
1st February 2021 
