Three towns in the Greater Manchester region are among the several North West locations set to receive a chunk of the new £1 billion Towns Fund.
The latest £1 billion pledge to the Towns Fund was announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak during the unveiling of the 2021 Budget to the House of Commons earlier this week, with the government saying the fund aims to “support towns [in England] to build a prosperous future”, help to “level up”, and aid in recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
A total of 45 areas of England were announced by the Chancellor as funding recipients.
Of the 45 areas announced, the North West dominates the list, with nine towns in the region set to receive millions from a £211 million allocation for regeneration projects.
The three Greater Manchester towns receiving a chunk of funding are Bolton (£22.9 million), Cheadle (£13.9 million), and Rochdale (£23.6 million), and they are joined by the rest of the nine North West areas rounding out the list, which are Preston, Workington, Carlisle, Leyland, Stavely, and the most significant recipient on the list, Southport.
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Plans for the £22.9 million funding allocation in Bolton have already been released.
In addition to the £1 million accelerated funding already secured to regenerate the borough, the latest investment will see the Cheadle Square area of Bolton town centre – which includes Bolton Market, Bolton Central Library, and Aquarium – now set for major improvements.
Bolton Council has successfully been offered up to £22.9m of funding from central government’s Town Fund today to help regenerate its town centre. Read all about it here https://t.co/2OO5wHznWOpic.twitter.com/14K7Ezszl5
This includes an improvement to Bolton Market, which will involve refurbishing and upgrading the internal halls, and improving all entrances to the building, as well as a redevelopment of the Wellsprings building to create an innovation hub for growing and start-up businesses in the creative and digital sector.
A public realm project will create a greener town centre, focussing on improved footpaths and improved connections between key institutions, new pocket parks and new public spaces, and finally, a redevelopment of Bolton Central Library, Museum and Archive will expand the Aquarium, modernise the libraries and introduce flexible workspaces for local businesses and community groups.
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Speaking on the funding allocation, Belinda Beaver – Chair of Bolton’s Town Deal Board, and Director at Agitare Business Consultancy – said: “I am overjoyed that Bolton’s Town Fund has been successful and the money we receive will make a great difference to our town centre.
“The success is a testimony to Bolton’s fantastic collaborative working with partners to provide upgraded facilities to businesses, residents and visitors alike.”
Cllr David Greenhalgh – Leader of Bolton Council – said: “This money will help us realise our vision and enable us to deliver transformative projects, which are a key part of our ambitious plans. These town fund projects result from extensive collaboration with residents, MPs and private and public sector partners and will reinforce our collective ambition, vision and commitment to regenerating Bolton’s town centre.”
The next stage of the process will now involve Bolton Council agreeing Heads of Terms with the government and developing a full business case for each of the projects.
However the Towns Fund allocations in our region has been met with some strong local criticism.
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Jonathon Reynolds – the Labour MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, and Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary – said there was “just no logic to where that money goes other than through a political ends”, and used the example of Greater Manchester to state that the decisions for where funds would go as being “inexplicable”.
He said: “A government serious about levelling up would look at things like council funding. It would look at the funding of the health service to address health inequalities in post-industrial areas. Instead, what we seem to get are these pots from the chancellor dependent on giving money to backbench Conservative MPs, and I find that so frustrating and a misuse of public money.”
A number of other Labour MPs for Greater Manchester constituencies have also taken to social media to express criticism.
Buried in the small print of the budget is the news that the Communities Secretary and many of his Tory friends are the main beneficiaries of the Towns Fund, ahead of areas with far higher deprivation. They are absolutely shameless. https://t.co/0by1uGSR06
Salford is the 18th most deprived area yet 90% of the new towns fund is going to Tory seats, many affluent. Tell me @rishisunak how is this ‘levelling up’? https://t.co/ZkbcLpasSf
Cabinet Ministers and their Tory friends are the main beneficiaries of the Towns Fund, ahead of areas with far higher deprivation. That is not levelling up, it's shameless. https://t.co/JmDVx99D46
When challenged on the allocations at a Downing Street news briefing, Mr Sunak said that “if you looked at all the things” the government was doing it was “benefitting people in every corner of the country”.
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You can find more information about the Towns Fund allocations here.
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Police reinvest record £18m seized from criminals back into Greater Manchester’s communities
Emily Sergeant
A record £18 million seized from criminals within the past year has now been reinvested back into Greater Manchester’s communities.
Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) confirmed that its dedicated Economic Crime Team recovered a whopping £18,150,322.56, to be precise, from criminals in the past year alone, and it’s cash that will be now be reinvested as part of the successful Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) back into communities across Greater Manchester.
This is a record figure for the police service.
Throughout the past year, GMP says it has conducted more than 850 Proceeds of Crime (POCA) hearings.
As a result of these hearings, police have recovered millions from convicted drug dealers, fraudsters, crime gangs, and money launderers, as well as recovering a ‘significant’ amount of gold.
Police have reinvested record £18m seized from criminals back into Greater Manchester’s communities / Credit: GMP
You may remember that, back in May last year, officers working at Manchester Airport stopped a man found to be carrying five gold bars weighing more than 15kg in his hand luggage as he prepared to fly abroad.
Following this seizure, GMP was then granted in February its largest-ever forfeiture order for gold bars – valued at £1.8m.
Some of the other seizures and forfeitures over the past year include just over £135,000 from a suspect after his car was stopped on the M62 in November 2025, and another £138,144 was recovered from a man after he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.
GMP was granted its largest-ever forfeiture order for gold bars – valued at £1.8m / Credit: GMP
“The work of our Economic and Cyber Crime Unit in the last 12 months to recover over £18 million in criminal assets has been nothing short of outstanding,” commented Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson, who is GMP’s lead for crime.
“This record figure reflects the hard work and dedication of our officers and staff to investigate, solve crime and bring offenders to justice.
“As we move into a new financial year, we will continue to maintain an ambitious and innovative approach while adapting and developing with partners to target criminal assets and embrace technology to remain a step ahead of changing criminal activity.
“Through using the ARIS process, this criminal money can be reinvested back into local communities for the benefit of the public we serve.
“This work reflects GMP’s continued drive to deliver an outstanding service to our Greater Manchester communities while building public trust and confidence in the service we deliver.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Dispute over Manichester now ‘resolved’, say Mounfield family
Danny Jones
The family of the late, great Manchester musician, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, have said that the drama surrounding the highly-anticipated tribute festival in his name, Manichester, has now thankfully been settled.
Now the focus can once again return to remembering him as best as possible.
Following plenty of talk about the project following his passing late last year, a live music festival honouring Mani was finally confirmed in March, and the reaction following the event’s announcement has been unsurprisingly phenomenal.
Well, at least for the most part, as there was also some confusion over whether or not Manichester was still a charitable effort as advertised, with son Gene Mounfield disputing claims online. Fortunately, it all seems to have been put to bed now.
On behalf of the boys, and as their legal guardian, I want to thank everyone for the kind messages and concern for their wellbeing. There was a misunderstanding regarding the upcoming Manichester tribute concert, but we’re pleased to share that everything has now been resolved. pic.twitter.com/j8jEMrFzsD
Being organised by Madchester.com and locally-founded fashion label, GIOGOI, the debut edition was said to have the total blessing of Mani’s family, including his brother, Greg Mounfield.
It was also said that the funds raised by the show would be going to the legendary Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassists’ twins, George and Gene, but the latter recently argued that “nothing” was going to either him or his brother and that the news was “dropped” the plans just a fortnight prior.
Gene also said that “if it was a charity gig it would be at Co-op [Live] or Heaton Park, and it would be done by SJM [Concerts]”: a Manchester-based promoters and events company.
All of this was also wrapped up in ever more paper talk and sensationalism, as some were reporting that Noel and Liam Gallagher, as well as other members of Oasis, would be surprising fans as the still yet to be revealed ‘major headliner’.
These rumours have since been quashed, as has whatever miscommunication caused the misunderstanding between the parties concerned, and we are now back to simply looking forward to seeing an already stacked lineup here in the city centre this May.
Damon Minchella of Ocean Colour Scene (a fellow bassist who also tours with Richard Ashcroft) is helping organise and will also be performing on the night itself. As for the surviving Mounfields, they went on to add in an accompanying Instagram post: “We would also like to express our gratitude to PH.
“It means a great deal to all of us that so many people loved Mani enough to give their time and energy to honour his memory in this way. We are genuinely touched by the support.
“It has been an incredibly difficult few years for the boys and for our whole family. We hope this event will bring some much‑needed joy and create new, positive memories for everyone who cared about him.
“With love and thanks – The Family”
It goes without saying that we can’t wait for this city and Greater Manchester as a whole to honour a Manc icon and are looking forward to another year celebrating the thing that never fails to bring us all together: music.
The Manc -
5th March 2021 
