The memorial – which was unveiled in 2019, just before the 200th anniversary – is intended to remember those who died in the Peterloo Massacre of 16 August 1819, but shortly after opening, the circular-stepped feature came under fire from disability campaigners.
Jeremy Deller, the Turner Prize-winning artist who designed the memorial, intended it to be “a place of meeting and assembly where people could stand and sit together” – but the council said it did not anticipate Mr Deller’s interpretation of his brief, which proposed the monument to be interactive without accommodating wheelchair access.
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Manchester City Council said last week that several options involving various ramp or lift designs have been explored in detail to make the memorial accessible, but that none of them “have proved feasible”.
Councillors have now agreed to meet with campaigners to discuss fresh proposals.
The circular-stepped feature has come under fire from disability campaigners / Credit: Geograph (David Dixon)
Mark Todd, a member of the Peterloo Memorial access campaign, told the council’s communities and equalities committee that the time for working with Mr Deller and architects on finding a solution had passed.
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“What we’ve done is we’ve worked together as Mancunians to come up with a solution we think works,” he said.
“We want it to be an access solution that gets us to the top as the promise was made, so we can take part in the same way as any other citizen, but we think it can do more than that.”
Cllr Luthfur Rahman – Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council – admitted that mistakes had been made and that if he could, he would “go back and start right at the beginning again”.
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Several committee members also agreed that the proposals by campaigners should be considered.
“I think what we need to do is sit down together and have a look at the proposals,” added Cllr Susan Cooley, the council’s Lead Member for Disabled People.
Councillors also accepted that lessons learned from the Peterloo monument had paved the way for more inclusive future memorials such as the Glade of Light – which will commemorate the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena attack.
Manchester City Council insisted that there are no “viable solutions” for accessibility / Credit: Flickr
The Peterloo Massacre took place at St Peter’s Field in Manchester in 1819, when masses arrived to hear radical speaker Henry Hunt campaign for parliamentary reform, but a troop of sabre-wielding cavalrymen charged into the crowds.
At least 11 people were killed and 400 were injured.
‘Significant risk’ of UK gas shortages this winter, regulator warns
Georgina Pellant
Energy regulator Ofgem has warned that the UK faces a ‘significant risk’ of gas shortages this winter.
According to reports in The Times, the regulator has unveiled concerns that the country could face blackouts over the coming months thanks to an undersupply of gas to Europe caused by Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Warning that a “gas supply emergency” could be looming ahead, the energy regulator has said that some gas-fired power plants could see their supplies cut off, which in turn would stop generators from producing electricity.
The alert comes just days before an expected update from the National Grid on the likelihood of countrywide power cuts this winter.
Responsing to arequest from SSE, which owns several gas power stations, Ofgem outlined what is set to be a huge issue of concern given that the UK relies on large gas plants to produce the biggest share of its electricity supply.
The regulator also pointed to rules that could see power plants penalised as a result of shortages, warning of a worst-case scenario that would see the “potential insolvency of gas-fired generators” caused by rules that require plants to pay huge charges if they fail to deliver on promised quotas.
A letter from Ofgem has revealed the energy regulator is concerned about a "gas supply emergency" this year.
The letter said the war in Ukraine and gas shortages in Europe had led to a "significant risk that gas shortages could occur" this winter in the UK.
Adding that the issue must be addressed to prevent a “significant impact on the safety and security of the electricity and/or gas systems”, the regulator echoed concerns now widespread in Europe as its comments followed a similar statement made by the International Energy Agency (IEA) this morning.
Europeans are already being told they must lower their thermostats and boilers in preparation in case gas supplies are cut off, with Paris-based agency IEA warning today that the EU must focus on getting underground gas reserve levels to 90% of capacity in case of a complete Russian supply shut-off.
Preparation are already being made in Europe with the German government having approved a set of energy-saving measures for the winter to limit use in public buildings. In France, meanwhile, companies have already been warned they may face energy rationing this winter.
Whilst the UK government is yet to announce any energey saving measures, Ofgem has said that it expect s“this winter to be more challenging than last year” and that it is taking “reasonable regulatory steps to mitigate and reduce the risks”.
However, there are concerns that if gas-fired power plants incur costs these could, in turn, lead to energy bills rising for consumers once again.
SSE estimated that it could be fined as much as £276 million for every day it is unable to generate power, rising to £475 million for its largest plants.
This risk, it said, will force generators to reduce their advance sales and could end up “raising costs for electricity consumers” in the long run.
65-year-old stabbed in park for refusing to hand over Range Rover keys
Daisy Jackson
A 65-year-old male has been stabbed in an attempted robbery in a Bolton park on Sunday afternoon.
The victim was approached by two males in dark clothing wearing face coverings at around 2pm on 2 October, in Longsight Park.
One was armed with a machete, the other with what is believed to be a dagger.
They threatened the man for the keys to his Range Rover, but when he refused to hand them over, he was stabbed twice in the stomach.
Emergency services were scrambled to the scene in Bolton after a man was stabbed. Credit: North West Air Ambulance
The slash-style injuries required hospital treatment, and both police helicopters and air ambulances attended the scene.
Both suspects are believed to be white males aged around 20 years old, of slim builds of 5’8″ and 5’10”.
One – the male carrying a machete – was wearing a black baseball cap, black jogging bottoms and black tracksuit, with a ski mask covering the lower part of his face.
The other had on a black baseball cap with a distinctive red trim, black jogging bottoms, black tracksuit top and a full-face balaclava.
A 15-year-old male was later arrested at the location, and has been bailed pending further enquiries.
GMP officers in the Bolton district are keen to hear from anyone with information that could lead to the suspects described above.
Detective Inspector, Stuart Woodhead of Bolton’s CID said: “We understand this will be a worrying incident for those in the local area, but rest assured we are working hard to identify the two suspects and continue to increase patrols as a result to offer visible reassurance.
“This happened in broad daylight in a public place, so we would urge anyone with details either of the incident or who may know who the two suspects are to come forward in confidence as our investigation continues and we look at all possible lines of enquiry.”
The GMP statement added: “If anyone has any information they are urged to ring the district direct on 0161 856 5757. Alternatively details can be shared via the LiveChat portal on gmp.police.uk or anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
The Manc -
25th June 2021 
