Levenshulme Market is set to stick around in the Manchester suburb for another four years.
The ever-popular market attraction – which has attracted thousands of visitors and hundreds more traders since launching in 2013 – has secured its immediate future after what has been described as a “challenging” year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The news of the Levenshulme Market’s future comes after it was recently crowned the winner of ‘Best Small Market’ at the Great British Market Awards 2020.
As it is only a temporary operation, Levenshulme Market is required to reapply for permission from Manchester City Council to use the car park on Stockport Road every few years.
Applications are submitted by volunteers who run the market as a Community Interest Company – and there have been numerous obstacles in recent weeks.
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A bid to add a monthly Sunday market (to accompany monthly Friday and weekly Saturday openings) encountered opposition, with almost 300 people signing petitions against the proposals. Concerns had been raised about the potential impact on neighbouring businesses and car parking availability near Levenshulme Station and the wider district centre.
Some objectors even suggested that the site of the market needed to be relocated.
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However, the final application for a further four-year tenure has now been passed – backed by 280 individual emails of support.
Levenshulme Market recently won ‘Best Small Market’ at the Great British Market Awards 2020 / Credit: Levenshulme MarketPermission has been granted for the market to trade through to its 10th birthday / Credit: Levenshulme Market
At Manchester City Council’s planning meeting last Thursday, one of the CIC’s directors Paul Bower stressed the benefits of the market to Manchester.
“We feel that we continue to provide a vital and vibrant space for traders young and old to sell their quality goods and support the growth of the local economy in south Manchester,” Mr Bower said.
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“We feel that small markets like our own will play a very important role in building back better when we emerge into the post-COVID economy.”
The planning meeting heard that even though the market was only operating at half capacity due to COVID-safety guidelines, it still provided more than 200 traders with stalls, 80% of whom were from Greater Manchester and over half were women.
The committee gave its unanimous support for the CIC’s application – which also had the backing of planning officers.
Permission has been granted for the market to trade through to its 10th birthday.
80% of traders at Levenshulme Market are from Greater Manchester and over half are women. / Credit: Levenshulme Market
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Bower said: “We’re very pleased and relieved to have secured our immediate future of our community market in Levenshulme following a challenging 18 months [and] we would very much like to thank everyone who took the time to write in with their support.
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“It is greatly appreciated and we look forward to sharing the market’s next four years with everyone.”
Remarkable Lake District rescue of dog missing for THREE WEEKS
Daisy Jackson
A dog who was missing for almost three WEEEKS in the Lake District has, miraculously, been rescued.
Little Teddy went missing on 2 August, disappearing from his owner on Helvellyn.
Volunteers from Keswick Mountain Rescue Team spent the following weeks searching for the scrappy dog, with one eventually hearing him barking from Dry Gill.
The poor dog had got stuck in the gill in a dangerous location that required a full team of seven to bring him to safety.
Remarkably, Teddy appeared to be uninjured, though he had lost quite a bit of weight after three weeks living wild on the fell.
His rescuers gave him a small amount of food before securing him in a rucksack and carrying him back to Swirls car park.
The whole rescue took around three and a half hours, when Teddy was reunited with his very relieved owner and taken to the vets.
Teddy making his way down from HelvellynTeddy the dog was part of a rescue mission in the Lake DistrictTeddy was rescued after three weeks missingCredit: Keswick Mountain Rescue
Keswick Mountain Rescue said: “The team are absolutely delighted to share this update, as the news of this missing dog had deeply affected so many people across our local community.
“A remarkable outcome after nearly three weeks on Helvellyn, and a huge well done to everyone who kept searching and never gave up on Teddy.”
The mountain rescue team is funded entirely through donations – you can use ‘Buy me a coffee’ to make a small donation HERE, or donate the normal way HERE.
Elbow get behind campaign to save Jodrell Bank from closure
Danny Jones
Manc band Elbow are among the latest to get behind the campaign to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from closing permanently.
The Greater Manchester natives famously played a sold-out gig at the important scientific and cultural landmark for a very special live album recording well over a decade ago, and know all too well the site’s national and, indeed, global heritage.
Choosing the Observatory and the rare chance to perform a show in the shadow of the world-renowned James Lovell Telescope, it probably remains one of their most significant standalone UK date ever.
With that in mind, the local lads have been left just as worried by the news of its impending closure as everyone else, and have therefore issued a fresh appeal to help keep it open.
Posting a timely statement on social media, the group wrote: “Jodrell Bank has long been close to elbow’s heart. In 2012, the band played beneath the Lovell Telescope for one of the most memorable shows in our history.
“The recent news that funding for the e-MERLIN radio telescope network is set to end in 2028 puts the future of the scientific work at Jodrell Bank under serious threat. It is a remarkable place, with an extraordinary history, and one that continues to play an important role in science, culture and education.”
In addition to reliving clips and images from the historic live set all the years later, they also pointed people towards their ‘elbow – Live at Jodrell Bank‘ album documentary, which has now been made available online for the very first time as part of wider efforts to raise awareness around the cause.
Directing people to key online resources shared by the institution and astrophysics centre itself following their unfortunate update late last month, the push to not only find the funding but sustain support for the facility continues to ramp up throughout the world of science, arts and industry.
For anyone who somehow missed the news – 2028 being the current deadline handed down as per budget cuts across the sector – concerned parties here in the North West and all over the country have since started petitioning to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from shutting down for good.
In addition to being described as a “huge blow” to the field by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), some have even gone so far as to describe the decision as a form of “vandalism” when it comes to research and British culture as a whole.
Having also served as the host venue for the annual bluedot Festival since 2016, the multi-genre science and arts celebration could soon be forced to find a new home.
The battle is far from over yet, and the community has time to rescue Jodrell Bank Observatory from its fate, but it will take lots of money and more notable public figures to make it happen.
Once again, you can do your bit by signing the petition mentioned above right HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
5th July 2021 
