Manchester City Council has informed Northern Quarter residents that the pedestrianisation of local streets is set to become permanent.
A number of roads in the city centre area were closed to traffic at various points throughout 2020 – creating more room for social distancing.
In summer, bars and restaurants occupying spaces along the Northern Quarter spine of Thomas Street were permitted to set up outdoor seating as the road was shut to traffic, with closures also made on Ducie Street between its junction with London Road and Dale Street.
The council has now confirmed these temporary changes will remain in place following “broadly positive” feedback.
Great to see the plans for Ducie Street/Dale Street areas, and the Thomas Street pedestrian zone!
Looking forward to seeing the first phases of the Northern Quarter Walking and Cycling route starting to be built ?? https://t.co/DKX8GTW26X
The new NQ measures – which are reportedly costing £2.3 million – will include “better features” for cyclists (such as new cycle stands towards the Piccadilly Station ramp), along with a widened footway on Dale Street and newly planted trees.
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A one-way road restriction is also set to be implemented on Tariff Street.
The council has stated the plan will mean less on-street parking, smoother flowing traffic and nicer pavements.
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A pamphlet issued to residents reads: “Our plans will make Manchester’s brilliant Northern Quarter streets even more dynamic, lovely to look at and pleasant to use.
“It will be safer, greener and better for everyone – especially for those enjoying this unique quarter of our city as it should be enjoyed: on foot or by bike – as well as other transport users.”
The plans form part of a “Greater Manchester-wide revolution for travel on foot and by bike” – with ambitious aims to create 1,800 miles of routes and 400 miles of Dutch-style segregated bike lanes to form the UK’s largest joined-up network for walkers and cyclists.
You can read more about the changes being made to Northern Quarter on the council website.
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MediaCity launches brand new state-of-the-art creative content space
Danny Jones
Exciting times for Greater Manchester and young talent as a brand-new state-of-the-art content creation space has just launched over in Salford.
Over the past decade, MediaCity has become a highly celebrated creative and cultural hub, home to the likes of the BBC, ITV, Lowry and more.
It’s become more than just an outpost accessible via a short tram ride but a true heavyweight of the media and creative industries here in the UK, always looking to expand and push the boundaries.
Now, following the completion of its latest project, MediaCity looking to provide a space for future generations of content creators and aspiring media makers.
Credit: MediaCity (supplied)
This brand new £600,000 state-of-the-art content creation space marks a huge milestone in MediaCity’s continuing journey as not just a Northern hub for digital and creative innovation, but a go-to national destination for future media.
Designed to cater to the growing climate of cutting-edge content creation and offer a professional workspace at an accessible rate, Content Studio provides a range of versatile creative spaces, including light, dark and podcast studios – perfect for video and stills production, castings, photoshoots and more.
Curated by University of Salford alumni Ashley Salmon the studio has been designed to meet the needs of modern content creators, influencers, social media stars, brands and businesses of all kinds.
Promising to offer both a dynamic and inspiring space where people can produce high-quality and innovative content while fostering a supportive creative community, this place aims to live up to Greater Manchester’s media reputation: industry-leading.
The Content Studio will also be made accessible to students and creatives spending time over at the MediaCity campus, with a good chunk of the core production team including recent graduates from the University, giving them a valuable platform to showcase their skills and kickstart their careers.
Credit: Supplied
For the first time, creators will have access to a range of industry-quality facilities at an affordable rate, with spaces starting from just £10 per hour – a super reasonable price point, especially these days.
To further enhance the creative process, MediaCity has partnered with experienced on-site production companies to ensure every booking is fully equipped with all the facilities for seamless content creation.
Boasting everything from infinity walls and green screens to cameras, audio gear, props and pretty much everything you’d ever need.
To make things even sweeter, hiring the content creation space also comes with the option of one-on-one consultations, so creators can focus on creating rather than coordinating.
Even those who require significantly more space and tech requirements will be able to make use of the neighbouring dock10 studios.
Through a partnership with local creative community group Heads, creators will also have plenty of access to exclusive workshops and upskilling opportunities, ensuring they stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Credit: Supplied
The MediaCity Content Studio isn’t just another content creation/production space – Greater Manchester has tonnes of those – it’s also an exciting new outlet for new talent, collaboration, innovation and inspiration, not to mention an investment in the future.
Anyone working out of the space will have the tools to carve their own path and help shape the future of entertainment and digital media in the North and beyond.
To mark the launch of the new content creation space, MediaCity is even introducing a new podcast, This is MediaCity in partnership with University of Salford and produced by Stephen Chapman, Founder and Creative Director of 39 Pictures.
The podcast is set to spotlight the people and stories that make this particular corner of 0161 the creative powerhouse we know, love and remain immensely proud of.
Director of Marketing and Place at MediaCity, Caroline Aikman, said of the exciting project: “Content Studio represents our commitment to nurturing the next generation of digital creators and innovators.
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“By providing the tools, spaces, and inspiration, we’re not just supporting the future of content—we’re empowering it. This marks an exciting chapter in MediaCity’s journey, cementing our reputation as the go-to destination for digital creativity.”
Football Manager 25 has been officially cancelled following delays
Danny Jones
Beloved videogame simulator Football Manager 25 has been officially cancelled following continued delays.
The long-standing game where players take control as virtual managers of football teams has been a mainstay of digital sporting entertainment for more than three decades.
Developed by London-based studio Sports Interactive and published by gaming giants SEGA, the game hasn’t missed a single season since it began life as Championship Manager back in 1992.
However, following two significant delays to this year’s title, Sports Interactive have confirmed that Football Manager 25 has now been cancelled, despite countless pre-orders having already been made.
While the news doesn’t come as a total surprise, with FM25 having first been delayed ahead of its initial November 2024 release date and then moved again to March 2025, many fans would
The statement reads: “Sports Interactive [SI] regret to inform that, following extensive internal discussion and careful consideration with SEGA, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Football Manager 25 and shift our focus to the next release.
“For the large numbers of you who pre-ordered FM25, we thank you enormously for your trust and support – we’re very sorry to have let you down. Please see the FAQs below on obtaining your refund.
“We know this will come as a huge disappointment, especially given that the release date has already moved twice, and you have been eagerly anticipating the first gameplay reveal. We can only apologise for the time it has taken to communicate this decision.
“Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement.”
Insisting that they pride themselves on “delivering the best value for money games that bring you countless hours of enjoyment”, they simply didn’t feel like they were able to release the latest FM title to a good enough standard in its current state following playtesting.
They go on to add that ahead of working on this, the studio undertook the “biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation, laying the building blocks for a new era”, hence why the significant delays. The news has been met with mixed reactions, to say the least.
Don’t worry only gotta wait till November!!! Only in February FFS
— Out of Context Football Manager (@nocontextfm1) February 7, 2025
You can read the statement in full HERE, in which they also rationalise that it simply no longer made sense or felt fair to expect people to buy FM25 when it was ready only to purchase the next instalment later in the year.
Fortunately, with regular updates as well as community mods and patches to the current Football Manager (FM24 was released back in November 2023), loyal fans have been more understanding about the delays and now the cancellation.
SI signed off by stating: “Through the cancellation, every effort is now focused on ensuring that our next release achieves our goal and hits the quality level we all expect. We will update you on how we are progressing with that as soon as we are able to do so.
“Thank you for reading, your patience and your continued support. Our full focus now returns to creating a new era for Football Manager.”
Lighting a candle for the people who collect a physical copy of every Football Manager, with no FM25 their collections will be ruined forever. pic.twitter.com/M1S5LiLJtQ