A four-year-old boy has tragically passed away several days after a horrific house fire in Wigan.
His 45-year-old dad also died from his injuries on the day of the blaze, at around 2.30am on Sunday 14 April.
The young boy was rushed to hospital with serious injuries, but died in hospital earlier today.
Four other people received treatment following the house fire on Warrington Road at the weekend.
Local authorities do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances involved in the incident.
And Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue are continuing to investigate the causes of the fire and are in regular contact with officers.
A GoFundMe page set up to support the family has named the father and son as Barry and Ethan Mason.
Prior to Ethan’s death, it said: “Hello, my name is Jessica. Yesterday morning at around 1am my sister’s house went up in flames.
“Devastatingly we lost my brother in law and my beautiful little nephew has suffered over 86% burns to his body.
“The last thing this man did was to run back into a burning house and save his little boy.”
It then detailed that Ethan had spent a long time in surgery and been placed in an induced coma, and was given only a 10% chance of survival. Tragically, he did not make it.
The GoFundMe continued: “We are all absolutely heartbroken, but my sister and her other children have lost absolutely everything.
“I have set up this go fund me to not only help with funeral costs but to help with clothing and other necessities for her other babies, and to help with the financial burden my sister will have to cope with on top of losing her husband and having her baby in hospital for god knows how long.
“Anything you can donate will be massively appreciated. Thankyou for reading and Love to all.
“Hold your babies a little bit tighter because you just never know.”
The GoFundMe has already raised more than £33,000, at the time of writing.
Detective Inspector Lee Gridley, from GMP’s Wigan district, said: “This is a devastating incident and all of our thoughts are with the family of this young boy, who had his entire life ahead of him.
“Together with the earlier death, this is a tragedy for the Wigan community and I know that many people will be shocked by this heartbreaking news.
“I hope people will join us in sending their absolute best wishes to all those involved in this incident, as they begin their journey in the healing process.
“While we are not treating the incident as suspicious, if anyone has any information they believe is important, please do get in touch with us. You can do this by calling police on 101, quoting log 393 of 14/04/2024.”
The family have asked for their privacy as they come to terms with their loss, and have asked for people to respect their grieving process.
‘Eyesore’ Northern Quarter car park to be redeveloped as ambitious new neighbourhood
Emily Sergeant
An underused multi-storey car park in the heart of the city centre is set to be sold and redeveloped as an ‘ambitious’ new neighbourhood.
The ‘eyesore’ car park situated in Manchester’s iconic Northern Quarter will be transformed into what Manchester City Council is hoping will become a green and sustainable neighbourhood set to complement the ‘unique and independent’ ethos of the area.
It comes after developers CBRE were appointed by the Council last year to market the Church Street site for disposal, ahead of seeking formal planning permission.
The new scheme will deliver more than 300 new homes – including 60 affordable homes – alongside new commercial opportunities and high-quality public spaces.
A before and proposed after of Church Street Car Park / Credit: Manchester City Council
It’s expected that the development will respect the heritage and architecture of the historic city centre neighbourhood and help to enhance the wider area, all while improving a car park site that has long fallen out of favour.
The new neighbourhood will also feature four new public squares and green spaces, along with opportunities for pedestrianising the surrounding streets as part of the public realm.
As mentioned, commercial space is also part of the plans, as the ground floor of the building will offer a mix of smaller, more affordable units to ensure local independent businesses can access the neighbourhood, alongside units for food and beverage outlets.
“For too long, the Church Street car park has been an eyesore and a barrier to the ongoing success of the Northern Quarter,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council.
“We want to bring forward a world-class development that has the potential to completely transform this part of the neighbourhood, together with the newest city centre public squares and green spaces.”
The final legal negotiations will conclude over the summer, and it’s expected that a public consultation will then take place to inform a future planning application.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
News
‘Major milestone’ as planning permission secured to transform Oldham town centre
Emily Sergeant
Planning permission has been granted for six transformational sites in Oldham town centre, with developers calling it a ‘major milestone’.
This approval marks a key step forward in Muse Places and Oldham Council‘s long-term partnership with a shared ambition to deliver a ‘vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable’ town centre that not only reflects Oldham’s heritage but also meets the needs of the people who live there.
Following ‘extensive consultation’ with the local community earlier this year, where hundreds of people took park and shared valuable feedback to help shape the proposals, a total of 1,619 new homes will be delivered as part of the plans, offering a mix of high-quality, energy-efficient apartments designed for families, older people, and young professionals.
The plans also include social and affordable housing provision too in a bid to help more local people find a home that suits their needs and circumstances.
According to the Council and developers, the approved plans will bring underused sites back into ‘productive’ use and support a ‘cleaner, greener’ future for Oldham, opening the door to new opportunities for local businesses and communities alike.
“This decision marks a key milestone in delivering on our promises for Oldham,” commented Cllr Arooj Shah, who is the Leader of Oldham Council.
Planning permission has been secured to transform Oldham town centre / Credit: Muse Places
“Oldham Council and Muse have a shared, ambitious vision to create a quality place that people genuinely want to spend time in.
“I am thrilled that we can continue moving forward with our plans, delivering high-quality homes, including the provision of social and affordable homes to meet local needs. We will also support local businesses and create opportunities for everyone, as part of a clean, green and sustainable future.
“Together, we are creating a place that we can all be proud of.”
Site investigation works are now complete at the Civic Centre, and works at Prince’s Gate will begin shortly, followed by the former Magistrates’ Court later this year.
With planning consent secured and preparatory works underway, construction at Prince’s Gate is expected to begin this autumn.
Daisy Jackson -
17th April 2024 
