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Historic building in Newton Heath set for demolition as council labels it ‘very dangerous’

A famous 130-year old building in North Manchester is being demolished after the council confirmed it is too dangerous to remain in place.

The Manc The Manc - 8th January 2021
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A famous 130-year old building in Newton Heath is being demolished after the council confirmed it is too dangerous to remain in place.

The former Failsworth Industrial Society on the corner of Old Church Street is scheduled to be dismantled over the weekend.

Council representatives confirmed there will be closures on the adjacent Oldham Road between 7pm and 6am on Friday and Saturday as a result.

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The building, a former co-operative site that is rumoured to be one of the first in Manchester to be lit by electricity, was acquired by L2 Property in recent years.

There had been plans to renovate the site, but a review of its condition has meant that it will now have to be completely demolished.

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Director of L2 Property John Leighton told the Manchester Evening News that they would be reviewing options and “what is right for the site and for the area.”

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Whilst the old Failsworth Industrial Society will be taken down, there are plans for the surrounding area in Newton Heath.

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L2 Property has secured planning permission for over 100 apartments in a six-storey building.

39 townhouses are also set be created nearby.

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Police seize convoy of supercars after reports of dangerous driving on M62 near Rochdale

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A convoy of supercars has been seized by police following reports of dangerous driving on the M66 and M62 near Rochdale.

On Wednesday, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) says its dedicated Roads Policing Unit (RPU) were made aware that a group of individuals driving high-powered vehicles – such as Lamborghinis and Mercedes G-Wagons – were ‘driving dangerously’ at speed, weaving across lanes, wheel spinning, and slowing down to speeds of around 17mph on the motorway.

After finding the convoy of vehicles on the M62, police were able to stop two of Lamborghinis as they were coming off the motorway.

Officers then used specialist tactics to bring the remaining vehicles to a stop in Rochdale.

As a result of police intervention, GMP was able to seize five Lamborghinis and a Mercedes G-Wagon under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002, and on top of this, the drivers of the offending vehicles were prosecuted for a number of driving offences.

Police have seized a convoy of supercars after reports of dangerous driving on the M62 near Rochdale / Credit: GMP | Wikimedia Commons

Chief Inspector Danny Kabal, from GMP’s Transport Policing and Crime command, said the force takes road safety ‘very seriously’.

“We will not tolerate careless, inconsiderate, anti-social or dangerous driving on our roads,” he began.

“Recent changes to Section 59 of the Police Reform Act now enables us to seize vehicles without having to issue a warning first. As we intensify our road safety operations and enforcement campaigns, we will use this legislative change as part of our daily business.

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“People who think it is acceptable to use our roads as a racetrack need to pay attention to this result and take it as a warning – they will have their vehicles seized and they will be prosecuted, and where proportionate to do so, they will also be arrested.”

Featured Image – GMP

News

New £60m fund launched to fill potholes across Greater Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A new £60 million Pothole Fund has been created to repair more of the city region’s roads and pavements.

The fund – which has been set up by new Mayor Bev Craig, and is to be spent across every borough in Greater Manchester – is set to be a ‘major boost’ to efforts to tackle the pothole problem, as it will be enough to repair and maintain over a million square metres, or around 125 kilometres, of road across the wider region.

Around 2.5 billion trips are made on Greater Manchester‘s roads every year – not only by motorists, but also by buses, trams, cyclists, and pedestrians. So the fund will be used to help keep the highways network ‘safe and reliable’.

The fund will enable transport teams to repair hotspots where surfaces are in poor condition, as well as resurface roads and pavements to prevent them from deteriorating in the first place.

A new £60m fund has been launched to fill potholes across Greater Manchester / Credit: TfGM

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) conceded that damaged highways are a ‘common’ but ‘frustrating’ issue affecting drivers across the country, as well as being hazardous for people walking, cycling or wheeling.

Cold and wet winters, more traffic, and heavier vehicles using the roads are just some of the contributing factors to the pothole problem, which is why the fund is being introduced before autumn and winter properly arrives.

The amount each of the 10 boroughs will receive is based on an agreed funding formula, with the allocations being:

  • Bolton: £6,552,000
  • Bury: £4,374,000
  • Manchester: £8,155,000
  • Oldham: £5,258,000
  • Rochdale: £5,243,000
  • Salford: £5,388,000
  • Stockport: £6,820,000
  • Tameside: £4,980,000
  • Trafford: £4,992,000
  • Wigan: £8,241,000

The extra cash comes from the region’s transport budget, with leaders agreeing to reallocate funding towards highways maintenance, and it fulfils a commitment Bev made in her Mayoral Manifesto to repair more roads and make sure pavements are safe.

“Keeping our roads and pavements safe and well maintained is essential for a growing city region like Greater Manchester,” explained Mayor Bev Craig.

“That’s why I promised to create this new Pothole Fund that will benefit drivers and everyone who uses our roads to get around. Properly maintaining our roads will save motorists money on costly repairs, and by preventing potholes forming in the first place, councils won’t have to spend as much money on emergency road repairs.

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“This issue came up repeatedly on the doorstep during my election campaign so I’m pleased that I can do something about it so quickly, building on the significant work already planned by councils across Greater Manchester.”

Featured Image – TfGM

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