The UK government has allocated councils in Greater Manchester over £6.2 million extra to tackle potholes across the region.
After research carried out by Manchester-based personal injury specialists at JMW Solicitors back in 2020, combined with data provided by fixmystreet.com, uncovered that, as of January 2021, there were a total 7,114 reported open pothole cases in the region, it’s now been revealed that local councils will receive extra funding from the governmentto tackle rising numbers.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced an extra £200 million will be allocated to tackling the “curse of potholes” in his first Budget for 2023 yesterday.
Mr Hunt says the extra funding follows “a wet then cold winter”.
Councils across England will get additional funding to help tackle potholes.
This funding will help to lower vehicle maintenance costs for workers, families & business and will safeguard the country's road network for the future. pic.twitter.com/xqb8QuPxt3
He told MPs in the House of Commons yesterday: “I received particularly strong representations from my honourable friend from North Devon, South West Devon and Newton Abbott, as well as Councillor Peter Martin from my own constituency about the curse of potholes.
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“The spending review allocated £500 million every year to the potholes fund, but today, I’ve decided to increase that fund by a further £200 million.”
He added that the further £200 million will be to “help local communities tackle this problem”.
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The total of £6,210,400 extra funding allocated for Greater Manchester is to be distributed across all 10 boroughs, but it hasn’t been confirmed at this point whether this will be evenly distributed or based on the number of potholes in each region.
As well as Greater Manchester, fellow North West regions have also been awarded various sums of money from the fund.
Lancashire is to get £5,122,000, an extra £2,319,600 will go to Cheshire East and £1,765,200 to Cheshire West and Chester, while Blackburn with Darwen will receive £428,000, and Liverpool City Region will be given £3,754,400.
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Government to give Greater Manchester an extra £6.2 million to fill potholes across region / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Flickr
It is believed, however, that some regions will receive Private Finance initiatives (PFIs) rather than the government funding, according to ITV News – which is a way for the public sector to finance significant public works projects through the private sector to essentially take the burden off the government.
The Council is giving Mancs £2,500 to move into a ‘more manageable’ home
Emily Sergeant
The Council is now offering financial help to support people moving into a smaller and ‘more manageable’ property.
Ever heard of ‘rightsizing? Well, according Manchester City Council it’s a process where a tenant in a larger social rent, Council, or Housing Association property, that may have more rooms than they need or perhaps are struggling to manage a big house as they get older, can be supported into a smaller property that better suits their needs.
The benefits of this process include cheaper bills, lower rents, and overall, just homes that are easier to clean and manage.
The aim of it is also to free up larger Council properties for families who are on the housing register – of which there are said to be around 20,000 of them currently at this time, with larger homes having some of the most significant wait times.
Are you struggling to look after a big Council or housing association home? We can help!
We are offering £2,500 to help people move into a smaller more manageable home, freeing up larger homes for families that need them.
It’s also estimated, according to the Council, that a third of all social rented family homes are thought to ‘underoccupied’.
This is why financial support and grants are now being offered.
Last year alone, 109 households were helped to ‘rightsize’ and were supported in the process by a dedicated team of Council officers, as well as benefitting from the Rightsizing Incentive Scheme – with a further 432 households having expressed interest doing so in the future.
Residents interested in ‘rightsizing’ could get a cash incentive of £2,500, which can be spent on anything they like, along with moving costs.
The Council is giving Mancs £2,500 to move into a ‘more manageable’ home / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
“Rightsizing could be a brilliant option for older people who are renting a Council home who may have spare rooms they don’t need or would benefit from looking after a smaller property,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Development.
“Often a barrier to moving is the cost, but the Council will take care of the financial burden to help a resident move into a new home.
“The benefit for the city is that we can free up more larger homes for people who are waiting for a property that properly meets their needs. We think around a third of Council tenants could be under occupying their home, which means they could be paying more than they need to or they could be hit with the bedroom tax.”
Does this sound like you? Are you ready to ‘rightsize’? Find out more and begin the process via Manchester City Council’s website here.
Featured Image – Vitaly Gariev (via Unsplash)
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Trailer released for Netflix’s new Lucy Letby documentary with ‘unprecedented access’
Emily Sergeant
The trailer for Netflix’s new documentary about the investigation of Lucy Letby has been released.
The feature-length film about Lucy Letby – the infamous neonatal nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others under her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital – hears for the first time from the police officers who investigated the case that shook the nation.
It features never-before-seen footage of Letby during her arrests and police questioning, and even includes interviews with experts and lawyers on both sides, as well as with the hospital consultants who initially raised the alarm.
Tragically, it also includes an anonymised interview with a mother of one of the victims, who also speaks for the first time about her experience and involvement in Letby’s trial.
Produced as a result of years of research and relationship-building, the film – simply titled The Investigation of Lucy Letby – is described as being the most ‘comprehensive’ look at one of Britain’s most notorious crimes, and traces developments from her arrest to trial in chronological order.
Viewers will be given ‘unparalleled and exclusive access’ to those central to the story.
“This was an exceptional and demanding project, marked by significant creative and ethical responsibility,” commented director, Dominic Sivyer. “Our aim was to craft a powerful, emotionally resonant depiction of the events surrounding the case.”
Caroline Short, Head of Global TV at ITN Productions – who produced the documentary – added: “The access to all our contributors came with a huge responsibility to present everyone’s perspectives with care and understanding.
“We are grateful to all those people who trusted us to tell their story.”
Emily Sergeant -
16th March 2023 
