A number of Greater Manchester councillors have warned that local residents “will go mad” if they’re forced to have seven different wheelie bins.
The government is looking to introduce new measures to standardise the waste collection process in England from 2023 in a bid to boost recycling rates as part of its proposed Environment Bill, and it means that households could be issued four bins for dry recyclables, as well as separate containers for non-recyclable materials, garden waste, and food waste.
As part of the process shake-up, the government is also pushing for food waste to be collected separately and on a weekly basis.
But Greater Manchester is hoping to avoid the changes.
The region’s waste and recycling committee fear that the proposals will lead to “streets full of bins” and clutter that could block pavements for people with mobility issues.
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Waste officials also say that some homes in the region, such as terraced houses and apartment blocks, may not even be able to accommodate the new bins, and on top of that, the extra lorries needed to collect the additional bins could cause congestion and an increase in vehicle emissions.
Concerns have also been raised about a potential lack of drivers to man the bin lorries, as earlier this month, collections were stopped in South Manchester due to national shortage of heavy goods vehicle drivers and COVID-related issues.
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The government is looking to introduce new measures to standardise the waste collection process in England from 2023 / Credit: Geograph
This is just one of the reasons why the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has made the case to the government that the four-bin system should remain in place.
Labour councillors for Bury, Trafford, and Stockport have all voiced their concerns.
Speaking at a waste and recycling committee on earlier this month, Allan Quinn – Labour Councillor for Bury said: “I think we’re paying the price for being 20 years ahead of the game [as] we’ve got a system that works, and if it’s not broken, don’t try and fix it.
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“Residents will go mad over this.”
On the other hand, Conservative councillor Adele Warren said that she could see the merits in weekly food collections, even if it will be “incredibly challenging”.
She pointed out that local authorities in Greater Manchester are striving towards carbon neutrality by 2038, and that this could lead to more food waste being turned into a type of renewable energy called biogas to help towards that goal.
The government is expected to respond to local authorities in the autumn, with further consultation on statutory guidance and minimum service standards expected in 2022.
Featured Image – Flickr
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66% of Brits consider Manchester to be the second city not Birmingham
Emily Sergeant
A new survey has revealed that more than half of Brits now consider Manchester to be the second city, rather than Birmingham.
At this point, the debate over where should hold the unofficial title of ‘Britain’s second city’ has raged for almost as long as London has been the capital… but now, in a bid to get to the bottom of the issue, a new YouGov study of more than 55,000 Brits investigates which urban areas the public feel have the strongest claim to holding the title.
Overall, it was revealed that 66% of Brits believe Manchester has a ‘strong case’ for being considered Britain’s second city, compared to 48% for Birmingham, and 49% for Edinburgh
When picking the city they most consider to be Britain’s second city, the public are, however, divided as 34% say it’s Manchester while 30% opt for Birmingham.
66% of Brits consider Manchester to be the second city not Birmingham / Credit: Chris Curry | Josh Taylor (via Unsplash)
As you can probably imagine, the answer to this age-old question varies significantly depending on where you are in the country.
Belief that Birmingham is Britain’s second city is concentrated in and around the West Midlands, whereas Manchester’s claim likewise finds its strongest support on its home patch (77% in Greater Manchester), though this does not extend to every part of the North West, with the people of Merseyside being more likely to consider Liverpool (34%) the second city than Manchester (27%).
Perhaps key to explaining why having a population roughly twice the size of Manchester’s doesn’t immediately settle the 'second city' debate in Birmingham’s favour is that just 14% of Britons consider population size to be the most important factor in determining a second city… pic.twitter.com/ThtAgJSKqq
Despite all this though, Manchester being considered the second city is the most common view across a ‘reasonably wide’ spread of England, YouGov found.
Beyond geographical differences, there’s also seen to be a small generational divide over the title too.
Among younger Brits, Manchester is the clear favourite, with 42% of 18-24 year olds seeing it as Britain’s second city, while Birmingham edges out Manchester for the silver city medal among over-65s by a margin of 35% to 29%.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
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Review | PinkPantheress turns Victoria Warehouse into one huge party on first night in Manchester
Emily Johnson
There was a point during Pinkpantheress’ set at O2’s Victoria Warehouse where you almost forgot you were watching someone perform an album that barely stretches past the 20-minute mark.
Instead, night one of two Manchester shows felt like one huge club night curated by one of the most exciting British artists around right now.
From the second you walked into the venue, greeted by an army of plaid, the world of PinkPantheress (real name Victoria Beverley Walker, for those who didn’t know) completely took over.
The stage itself mirrored that energy too, with a two-tier setup that allowed her to constantly move around the space, appearing and disappearing throughout the night alongside outfit changes, dramatic lighting and eventually, a pair of angel wings.
Backed by her dancers and DJ Joe, the entire show felt slick, immersive and miles away from the early days of PinkPantheress nervously clutching onto her handbag on stage like a comfort blanket. Ironically, the handbag did make a brief appearance during the evening.
It’s a reminder of just how much her performances have evolved – and evolve they have.
What could have easily been a short and simple set instead became a fully realised live show, complete with extended dance sections, rave-inspired moments, drum solos and seamless transitions that made the whole thing feel bigger than the music alone.
There’s also something undeniably British about a PinkPantheress show: the UK garage influences, the fashion, the awkward humour, and the understated confidence all combined into something that felt distinctly hers.
At one point, she paused to laugh: “It’s hot in this venue, f*** me,” which summed up the sweaty chaos of the night perfectly.
At one point, she joked that the last time she was in Manchester, she made it all the way to the final stage of Pointless, before being told she was now “too famous” to go on the show – a perfectly PinkPantheress anecdote that had the crowd laughing immediately.
By the end of the set, Victoria Warehouse felt less like a gig venue and more like the best house party you’ve ever accidentally ended up at.
And with another Manchester show still to come, it’s safe to say the party isn’t over just yet.
The Manc -
28th July 2021 
