Manchester City Council has confirmed today that plans submitted to demolish part of the concrete wall in Piccadilly Gardens have now been approved.
Intention to demolish part of the wall was first revealed to the public back in early March.
The council submitted a planning application for the removal of the small, curved section of the wall that it owns and separates the gardens from the bus station on Parker Street last month, and leaders say it will be the first stage in a major overhaul of the city centre’s largest public square.
At present, there has been no date set for when the work will be carried out, but the council’s city centre spokesperson Cllr Pat Karney said he hopes it will be “in the next few weeks”.
He said: “We’ve waited for this for over a decade,”
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“It’s a symbol of the renewal of Piccadilly Gardens – it’s the first step but there’s a lot more to come.”
According to the MEN, it’s believed that around £2 million has been allocated for the demolition work – as well as carrying out surveys, design work, and a public consultation on how to improve Piccadilly Gardens – after many years of complaints about crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.
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Although the budget for the full revamp has not yet been finalised, it is understood to be in the region of £10 million.
Geograph / Gerald England
The demolition work to dismantle part of the infamous wall – which has unfortunately become known as a notorious hotspot for drug-dealing, the congregation of large groups to congregate and the scene of violent incidents – is not not anticipated to cause major disruption to the area.
It has however been said that work may affect the adjacent tram stop however.
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Officials said that removing the wall will improve “sight lines” in the gardens, which will make it easier for police to monitor the area and discourage criminal behaviour.
Speaking on the initial announcement of demolition plans earlier this year, Sir Richard Leese – Leader of Manchester City Council – said: “This is a key step in the transformation of Piccadilly Gardens. We have been listening to people’s views about the area and we are determined, working with principal landlords, businesses, residents and property owners in the nearby area, to support changes to make it a thriving and welcoming place.
“We know we have got to start investing in the area now to deliver a space which meets the aspirations of Manchester people.
“The fact that we are planning to commit so much funding to the first phase of the scheme alone hopefully underlines the extent of our commitment.”
There has been no further indication as to whether the rest of the wall is to be demolished in due course.
Further information can be found via the Manchester City Council website here.
News
Former supply teacher charged with child sex offences in schools across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A former supply teacher has been charged with a number of child sex offences, including upskirting in schools across Greater Manchester.
Abusali Rahman, a British national of Bangladeshi ethnicity from Salford, is remanded in custody after being charged with offences including, but not limited to, 12 counts of taking an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child (images obtained by upskirting), three counts of making indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child (making AI-generated images), and one count of attempting to meet girl under 16 following sexual grooming.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between December 2023 and June 2025, according to Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
Thirteen girls have been identified – aged between 13 and 16 at the time of the alleged offending – at seven high schools in three Greater Manchester boroughs (Bury, Bolton, and Salford).
All affected schools and the parents of the 13 identified girls have been informed, GMP has confirmed, and all necessary safeguarding personnel have been made aware of the ongoing investigation – with specialist support on offer to them throughout this case.
A former supply teacher has been charged with child sex offences in schools across Greater Manchester / Credit: GMP
Rahman has not worked in schools since he was arrested in June 2025, after a concern was raised by a parent about an image of their child in school uniform being circulated by a social media account.
The discovery of further images prompted an upskirting investigation by GMP’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team (OCAIT), and a ‘significant’ amount of specialist and sensitive work has since gone into trying to identify girls.
Rahman was charged and appeared at Wigan Magistrates’ Court last month (April 2026), before being remanded into custody and set to appear again at Bolton Crown Court on Thursday 28 May.
By law, alleged victims of sexual offences have a lifelong right to anonymity, and GMP therefore asks that people respect their privacy and protect the integrity of the case by not speculating or commenting on it, either in person or online.
“I understand the concern and upset that will come with this news,” commented Detective Chief Superintendent Rebecca McKendrick, head of GMP’s Public Protection Division.
“It is so important that everyone refrains from speculation as this is an active case where the girls affected have a right to lifelong anonymity and the defendant has a right to a fair trial. The last thing that needed now is speculation around this case – if you know something, please report it directly to us.”
Featured Image – MChe Lee (via Unsplash)
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Manchester City ‘strongly condemn’ racist abuse towards first-team players at Everton
Danny Jones
Manchester City Football Club have released a statement following yet more troubling racist abuse in the Premier League this May bank holiday.
Pep Guardiola’s side faced Everton in a fixture that ended in a 3-3 draw, which could prove pivotal in their pursuit of leaders Arsenal.
Sadly, however, one of the main stories to be taken from the game once again revolves around abuse and discrimination.
Match officials were quickly made aware of racial remarks directed at winger Antoine Semenyo on the day, and, unfortunately, defender Marc Guehi has also been the subject of hateful messaging online in the aftermath of the result.
Sharing a short, but simple and emphatic statement, the club wrote: “Manchester City strongly condemns the racist abuse directed towards Antoine Semenyo at yesterday’s match.
“We welcome the swift action taken by Everton and the police to identify the individual responsible.
“We are also incredibly disappointed to hear that Marc Guéhi was subject to a series of vile racist social media posts last night.”
They go on to add that they will “continue to offer our full support to both Antoine and Marc and never accept discrimination of any kind in our game.”
Everton themselves have since confirmed that local authorities swiftly identified at least one individual alleged to be responsible for the unacceptable behaviour.
As mentioned in their own post, the culprit is said to have been a 71-year-old man who was quickly flagged by fans and stewards inside the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
While this may be the first incident reported at the Toffees’ new home ground, regrettably, it’s just the latest in a long line of similar cases raised not just in English football but the top flight, specifically.
It goes without saying that we’re sorry to hear that stuff like this is still happening, and we send our strength to all those who continue to be affected by this despicable treatment.
As ever, ‘the beautiful game’ is for everyone and racism has no place in society, let alone football – kick it out once and for all. In other news surrounding Man City, there’s also been some controversy surrounding their upcoming FA Youth Cup final.
The Manc -
14th August 2020 
