Two takeaways in south Manchester have been ordered to pay just over £20,000 after being prosecuted for waste offences.
According to Manchester City Council, Karahi Box Ltd – which trades as Daawat Authentic Karahi By Jilanis – at 659 Stockport Road in Longsight was fined £9,000 for offences of flytipping under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and for failure to comply with a commercial waste notice issued under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at a Manchester Magistrates Court hearing on Thursday 24 March.
The business was also ordered to pay costs of £550, and a victim surcharge of £190.
It comes after Council officers first found fly-tipped waste in the alleyway to the rear of the business premises in July 2021, and on another occasion in August 2021, officers on routine visits to the area discovered further waste overflowing from containers in the same alleyway, according to the Council.
Finally, in September 2021, approximately 50 bags of waste and other loose items were found dumped near the alleyway between East Road and Sullivan Street, Longsight, which was investigated and evidence including receipts and flyers were found linked to the takeaway.
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📢 Flytipping Prosecution
Two south Manchester takeaways are now £20k out of pocket after being found guilty of flytipping and waste offences.
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) March 26, 2022
Similarly, Karak Ltd – which trades as Karak Chaii – at 104 Wilmslow Road in Rusholme was also fined £10,000 for flytipping under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and failure to comply with a commercial waste Notice issued under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 the same hearing, as well as being ordered to pay costs of £540, and a victim surcharge of £190.
This prosecution comes after on five separate occasions between April 2021 and November 2021, Council officers found waste deposited in the alleyway between Eva Street and Grandale Street.
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Again, the waste was linked to the takeaway through receipts and packaging bearing the name of the business.
Two takeaways in south Manchester have been ordered to pay just over £20,000 after being prosecuted for waste offences / Credit: Manchester City Council
Speaking on the fines issued to the two takeaways, Cllr Rabnawaz Akbar – Executive Member for Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council – said: “Prosecution is always a last resort.
“Our focus is to work with businesses to improve their waste management and ensure our streets are not spoiled by rubbish as these spaces shared by residents and businesses have a responsibility to manage their waste in a way that does not impact local people – but these businesses clearly failed in their responsibility, and the level of fine handed out to both indicates the seriousness of the offences.
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“I hope this also serves as a warning to other businesses that Council officers are out there, and when we find illegal activity, we will use the full extent of the law to reprimand businesses who knowingly dump their waste.”
New images released of Piccadilly Gardens as transformation plans take a big step forward
Daisy Jackson
Plans to transform Piccadilly Gardens to make them more ‘colourful, vibrant and safe’ have taken a big step forward today, with new images released.
Manchester City Council has shared the vision to the public ahead of a planning application being submitted this summer.
The plans to finally give Piccadilly Gardens some love were revealed last autumn, but things are now moving at pace with a delivery team appointed to design and build the new public space.
The new images show the vision for more green space, including lawns, trees, planting, seating, and colourful horticultural displays.
The temperamental fountains will also be removed for good, replaced with a new space called The Pavilion which will host family-friendly events.
The low concrete walls and raised planters at the edge of the gardens will be ripped out, improving the setting of the Queen Victoria statue.
There’ll be a new, larger playground for younger children, created in the same high quality style as the new parks at Mayfield Park and Ancoats Green.
A pre-planning consultation has started today and will run until Wednesday 15 July, with plans to submit the final planning application later this summer.
The new-look play area at Piccadilly GardensPlans for the new Piccadilly Gardens from above
The council has said that these new designs reflect feedback from the public and opinions on what we want to see at the new Piccadilly Gardens.
Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “We’re getting on with sorting out Piccadilly Gardens. We all want to see a space which Mancunians can be proud of – a welcoming and attractive environment which people want to spend time in.
“So as well other initiatives which are delivering more police and more CCTV, we’re bringing forward this scheme to transform the public space. That means investment in more flowers, more greenery, a new welcome pavilion, a new and bigger playground and an altogether more inviting Piccadilly Gardens. A bright new chapter is just around the corner.”
Further planned improvements to the area around Piccadilly Gardens in the coming years will include a multi-million pound investment by Transport for Greater Manchester to create a new, modern transport interchange.
Council calls on Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use
Emily Sergeant
Residents across Manchester are being called on to help bring hundreds of empty homes across the region back into use.
Since the beginning of this year, a major review has been underway around the city’s draft strategy for bringing empty homes back into use to help meet demand for affordable homes across the city, while also improving communities by tackling empty homes that can blight an area… but now, Manchester City Council needs your help.
Following a major public consultation, the Council is now acting on feedback to accelerate plans to bring as many long-term empty homes back into active use as possible.
Although the number of long-term empty homes in Manchester is near a historic low, with the Council having managed to reduce the number by more than half since 2013, there is still more work to be done.
“Every void property is a missed opportunity to provide a family a place to live, reduce homelessness, and lessen the burden on temporary accommodation,” the Council said in a statement.
The Council is calling on the Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
So, how can residents help then? What do you need to do if you spot an empty home on a street nearby?
Well, the easiest way to report an empty home is to report the issue online here, or by emailing [email protected]. And then once that’s done, a team of dedicated empty homes officers will take up the case to find out who owns the property and work with the owner on a plan to bring the home back into use.
The vast number of empty homes are privately owned with complex histories, and there are some cases where an owner may have passed away.
While working collaboratively with housing providers, voluntary organisations and public services are also a key element of detecting potentially empty or ‘problematic’ homes to repurpose them.
Officers can also support, where required, if a communication or language poses a barrier to resolving an empty home issue.
Tailored approaches to different communities – where empty homes impact neighbourhoods in different ways – are also being considered, according to the Council.
“To think, if we could bring all empty homes back into use, then we could provide more homes for those on the housing register and take pressure off the whole housing system,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development.
“The potential of making empty homes a thing of the past is huge for Manchester families looking for a place to call home – and a significant part of tackling the housing crisis.”
Emily Sergeant -
29th March 2022 
