News

New ‘culture hub’ could be coming to Wythenshawe in £20m regeneration bid

Manchester City Council's funding bit is part of a wider long-term vision to ensure Wythenshawe is "fit for the future".

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 4th August 2022

A £20 million funding bid to “jump start the transformation” of Wythenshawe town centre has been submitted to the government.

The bid to the Levelling Up fund – which has been submitted this week by Manchester City Council – could see the creation of a brand-new culture hub, food hall, civic square, and improved public realm and employment space in the heart of the town centre.

Everything from artist studios, to performance space and a community cinema could take shape in the town centre, as well as a flexible events hall that regularly hosts a food, drink, live music, and street food offering by night. 

Co-working spaces, and a new enterprise centre focusing on local start-up and small to medium-sized businesses could also be on its way, as well as lots of managed office space. 

There could even be a large new outdoor space capable of hosting community events, improved accessibility, and the creation of small, naturally-planted ‘sponge parks’ – which are designed to increase biodiversity, and help adapt to the impacts of climate change, all while reducing the risk of flooding.

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Funding would also help fund the decarbonisation of some town centre buildings, the Council said.

Part of a wider long-term vision to ensure Wythenshawe is “fit for the future”, the Manchester City Council says the funding bid complements the town centre’s existing retail space to create a “multi-functional” and “sustainable” place to live, work, and go out.

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If the funding application is successful, it could also support the creation of hundreds of jobs and thousands of new homes – including affordable homes on nearby Council-owned Brownfield land. 

Speaking on the funding bid, Cllr Gavin White – Executive Member for Housing and Development at Manchester City Counil – said: “This is a highly competitive bid which can act as the springboard for the transformation of Wythenshawe town centre [and] securing this funding would accelerate the change we aspire to see and help unlock wider opportunities for people.”

What Wythenshawe town centre currently looks like / Credit: WTC

The bid for Levelling Up funding comes after Manchester City Council recently announced an agreement to buy the existing 1970s shopping centre and multi-storey car park in the town centre with the aim of supporting the regeneration of the area.

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Regeneration progress is already taking shape, with a new Lidl supermarket proposed for the former Gala Bingo site, and the launch of the new monthly GRUB street food market.

Featured Image – Manchester City Council

News

Elf Bars stripped from UK supermarket shelves after ‘illegal’ nicotine levels found

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

One of the most popular e-cigarette brands has been stripped from the shelves of several major UK supermarkets after they were found to contain “illegal” nicotine levels.

ELFBAR 600 – which is more commonly known as just ‘Elf Bars’ – is described by the company as being “the most popular disposable vape”, and it comes in countless eye-catching bright colours, an extensive range of 30 sweet and fruity flavours.

Given the uncharacteristic e-cigarette look, and the fact they come in flavours such as Blueberry, Guava, Cotton Candy Ice, Blue Razz Raspberry, Pink Lemonade, and so many more, this has lead experts to believing that Elf Bars are a contributing factor to the rise in popularity of e-cigarettes and vaping among younger people.

This is only proven by a recent survey carried out for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) finding that the proportion of children aged 11 to 17 currently vaping has risen from 4% in 2020 to 7% in 2022.

Elf Bars are available in varying nicotine levels – but recently, a Daily Mail investigation has revealed that the Watermelon-flavoured ELFBAR 600s were found to have at least 50% more than the legal limit for nicotine e-liquid.

This has lead Morrisons, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s stores across the UK to cease selling the product.

Elf Bars stripped from major UK supermarket shelves after ‘illegal’ nicotine levels found / Credit: ELFBAR

Not only that, but Morrisons has even taken things one step further by deciding to stop the sale of the whole ELFBAR 600 range following the investigation.

Addressing the findings from the investigation and explaining its decision to strip all Elf Bars from its shelves, a Morrisons spokesperson told ITV News: “As part of our ongoing investigation into the legal compliance of ELFBAR 600 disposable electronic cigarettes with Trading Standards, we have made the decision to remove all flavoured variants from sale.

“The products will only be returned to sale once stock that fully complies with UK legislation becomes available”. 

Tesco says the vapes have been temporarily removed from shelves as “a precautionary measure” while the manufacturer “urgently investigates these claims.”

Sainsbury’s echos a similar statement to Tesco, and confirmed it’s in “close contact with our supplier”.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) found that the number of children aged 11 to 17 currently vaping has risen / Credit: Flickr

In light of the Daily Mail investigation – which was the result of buying multiple £5.99 vapes from a Tesco in Derbyshire, and sending them off for testing – an ELFBAR spokesman told the newspaper in response to the findings: “We found out that some batches of the Elf Bar product have been overfilled in the UK.

“It appears that e-liquid tank sizes, which are standard in other markets [such as the US], have been inadvertently fitted to some of our UK products [and] we wholeheartedly apologise for the inconvenience this has caused.”

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The company added that it would alert retailers and review its production process, but insisted that the “highly regrettable situation” did not compromise the product’s safety.

Featured Image – ELFBAR

News

Award-winning Northern Quarter restaurant announces shock closure with most heartbreaking statement yet

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

One of the Northern Quarter’s best restaurants and bars has announced its shock closure, adding to a tidal wave of hospitality casualties. 

Cocktail Beer Ramen and Bun – better known to most of us as CBRB – announced the news this evening with a frank and heartbreaking statement. 

In it, the late-night Oldham Street business outlined the ‘massive financial strain’ it’s been facing, describing the obstacles that are ‘affecting everyone in the hospitality industry right now’. 

CBRB stressed the staggering costs of goods and the doubling of energy bills as the ‘massive factors’ that have forced their hand. 

They wrote: “It breaks our heart to have to make this decision and please know, it has not come lightly or without months of deliberation, meetings and rescue plans.

“Countless discussions about a way out of the sh*t that wouldn’t end up coming to this.”

CBRB
CBRB. Credit: The Manc Group
CBRB
CBRB. Credit: The Manc Group
CBRB
CBRB. Credit: The Manc Group

CBRB, which specialises in huge steaming bowls of ramen, delicious small plates and award-winning cocktails, took the time to thank all the customers who have supported the hugely popular independent restaurant over the years. 

They also urged people to get out and support their local favourites before it’s too late, writing: “We can guarantee they’ll need it. So many amazing ideas and talented businesses in our industry are struggling and closing almost every day now and they need your help.” 

CBRB’s final day will be this Sunday, with bookings and walk-ins operating as normal.

CBRB’s statement in full

This is probably the hardest thing we’ve ever had to write. The worst news we’ve ever had to deliver.

This Sunday will be our last. 

The last noodle pull. The last blue drink. The last dinner service.

We want to be as honest with you as possible. After all, it’s you lot that make this place what it is and it’s you who have kept us going as long as we have. 

CBRB wouldn’t be where it is today without your amazing love + support over the last 4 years… 

The business has been under massive financial strain, that we have unfortunately been unable to pull ourselves out of. The obstacles that have been affecting everyone in the hospitality industry right now. The cost of goods sky rocketing. Energy bills more than doubling. They’re all massive factors and they’ve all made it extremely difficult to continue doing what we love, without compromising on quality. 

It breaks our heart to have to make this decision and please know, it has not come lightly or without months of deliberation, meetings and rescue plans. Countless discussions about a way out of the sh*t that wouldn’t end up coming to this.

So for now we just want to thank you. For making this tiny little kitchen and bar become something way bigger than we ever imagined. For making coming to work the last 4 years so much fun. For all the lovely messages, the constant support, for bringing your friends and sharing the love for the food we create. 

Thank you for supporting your local Girl Gang. But for now, it’s over.

If we can leave anything behind it’s this. Go and support your local independent bar! 

Eat out at your favourite family owned restaurants. Order that takeaway from your local small business. Because we can guarantee they’ll need it. So many amazing ideas and talented businesses in our industry are struggling and closing almost every day now and they need your help.

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Bookings and walk ins will operate as normal this week and we’ll keep on slinging the noods and pouring the drinks until the second we have to leave. 

2018 – 2023 

This week will be a bittersweet one. Come see us for a drink.

Big love, Team CBRB x

Featured image: The Manc Group

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