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Hello
Comparisons to Berlin might be made with tongue firmly in cheek. But there's no doubt that Stockport is enjoying a moment in the sun.
The Sunday Times recently named it in its annual 'best places to live' list, Stockport County are off to Wembley, its handsome old town has a wealth of trendy bars, vintage shops and cafes, and young families and first-time buyers are flocking to live there.
And today Stockport got another boost, when it was named Greater Manchester's 'town of culture' for 2023. We'll take a look at what that could actually mean in today's newsletter.
We'll also revisit Manchester's housing crisis as a new report reveals that last year just 46 homes were affordable to rent for people on housing benefit.
And if you've ever been landed with an unexpected bill for a broken down washing machine or a new car tyre, spare a thought for residents of the Canterbury Gardens estate in Eccles who just been told they need to stump up £2.2m for repairs to their run-down properties. More on their plight below.
Hats off to Stockport
It’s the home of Strawberry Studios, Blossoms and one of the biggest brick structures in the world. And today Stockport has another thing to shout about after being named Greater Manchester’s ‘town of culture’ for 2023.
Blossoms, whose frontman Tom Ogden has just opened a new bar in town, and Stockport County’s Macauley Southam-Hales joined Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and various other local big-wigs for the announcement at the Hat Works.
During its 12 months holding the title Stockport will get £50,000 to support arts and creativity in the borough. That will be based around four key elements, dubbed: Stockport Makes, Stockport Moves, Stockport Sounds and Stockport Tastes.
It coincides with a number of major public redevelopments and investment in the town, including the Town Centre West regeneration, the refurbishment of the Hat Works museum, cutting edge digital arts opportunities to be opened up through the £2.6m Stockport Creative Campus Cultural Fund, and the development of the £14m Future High Street Stockroom discovery centre.
Making the announcement Mr Burnham said: “This year, we just want you to shine in that spotlight that we've given you, and it's about where you're going and the amazing talent you've got to celebrate right now. You're on the up and I hope to come back and back this year."
And that wasn't the only big news in town today, as it was also announced the £250m 'Stockport 8' plans to create a new 'walkable neighbourhood' close to the viaduct had also moved a step closer. Around 1,200 new homes, shops, offices and leisure space could be built in what's been described as one of the biggest regeneration projects in the UK.
The Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation, which is overseeing the £1billion transformation of Stockport town centre, have announced they have entered with the English Cities Fund for the project. Chris Slater has more here.
Housing benefit blues
A new report has shed more light on the scale of Manchester’s housing crisis. Last year only 46 homes in the entire city were affordable to rent for those relying on housing benefit.
The average cost of rent for a large family home in Manchester is now £821 more than the Local Housing Allowance. Across the city rents have risen by an average of four per cent over the last year.
But Local Housing Allowance rates have been frozen since 2020. In Manchester, the monthly allowance for a two-bedroom home is £648.22.
But the average two-bedroom property in the city centre – which is admittedly at the top end of the scale – is now priced at £1,279 per month
According to property website Rightmove, just 46 properties across the city available to rent last year were below the Local Housing Allowance rate. Of those 38 only had one bedroom and just two had four bedrooms or more.
The data, which features in a town hall report, does not include council homes or properties owned by housing associations which are subject to waiting lists. The stark figures have led to calls for a rent freeze and an increase to housing benefits, Joseph Timan reports.
But Manchester council’s housing chief, Labour councillor Gavin White, also said more homes must be built. “There's just a lack of supply of homes of all types which means rent can go up in the private sector,” he said.
"The delivery of homes has been challenging because of the cost of inflation and materials. But we've got 1,000 affordable homes on site at the moment.
"If there were more homes, there'd be slightly less demand and also less profiteering. That's why we've been calling for rent controls and rent caps."
'What has it been allowed to get into this state?'
With the state of things at the minute lots of people would count themselves lucky to have a few hundred quid in a rainy day fund. So imagine how residents of the Canterbury Gardens estate in Eccles must be feeling after being landed with a staggering £2.2m bill for a backlog of maintenance and repair work to their rundown properties.
Leaseholders of the 144 flats pay £186 a month in service charges. But they claim landlord Onward Homes has failed to invest their money in routine fixes for years.
They complain of unpainted walls, neglected window sills, entrance ways and front doors with mismatched letterboxes. Canopies, window boxes and fencing are left with flaking paint, they say, and they claim trees in the back gardens are being ‘mismanaged’, leading to subsidence in nearby flats.
Jacqui Theaker, 60, who lives with her partner Kevin Armes, 47, told Nick Jackson: “Onward appears to have free rein to dismiss us and treat us as a money tree, while they decide on shoddy maintenance and repair standards, delayed responses, break promises and show no appetite to run the scheme in an efficient cost-effective manner.
“Delays [in maintenance work] have cost us, as we are now facing the consequences of hyper-inflation when the work should have been done four or five years ago.”
The residents say there is £500,000 in a fund which is supposed to be used for painting, but say this is way behind schedule. Henry Lloyd, 79, and wife Sonia, 77, said they had calculated that if the residents of the flats are all paying £186 per month in management fees, Onward Homes was in receipt of £321,000 a year.
"The question is," said Henry. "What have they been doing with that money?”
An Onward Homes spokesperson said: “Residents have previously made us aware of some issues relating to Canterbury Gardens and we have been working with them to resolve any questions.
“We take any feedback from customers seriously and will always listen and do what we can to make things right. We are currently working on a programme of works to enhance the appearance of Canterbury Gardens including improvements to windows and doors, as well as painting and fire safety work.
"A formal consultation process has been undertaken with customers and we anticipate the works will be completed in the summer."
On the subject of the £2.2m costing, the spokesperson said: “We are continuing to work with residents at Canterbury Gardens to deliver a series of improvements to the building over the next five years. Leaseholders have been provided with indicative costs for the five-year improvement programme and at the start of this year received a Section 20 notice for the first year of this work. This did not include final costs.”
Underneath the arches
Ten derelict railway arches in Salford could be transformed into new shops, cafes and bars under plans revealed this week. The arches on Norton Street have stood empty for five years.
But with the Greengate area of Salford – the bit just over the river from Deansgate – being touted as Brooklyn to Manchester’s Manhattan, they look set for a new lease of life.
It’s the latest scheme from developers The Arch Company, the firm behind similar proposals on Corporation Street and Temperance Street. Rob Roddy, from developer, said: “We see enormous potential in transforming these 10 derelict arches on Norton Street into spaces that local people can enjoy.
“It’s a fantastic central location and our investment will help to create a vibrant destination for the people of Salford, while also supporting local businesses and the wider community.”
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Weather etc
Temperatures: Wednesday, sunny intervals changing to cloudy by late morning. 18C.
Roadworks: Snake Pass is closed due to roadworks from Ladybower Reservoir to the Royal Oak Inn, Glossop, until May 26.
Trivia question: Stockport's Strawberry Studios played host to everyone from Bay City Rollers, Paul McCartney and The Smiths during its 70s and 80s heyday. But which Manchester City anthem, still played on match days at the Etihad, was recorded there in 1972?
Manchester headlines
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Caravan blaze: Homes in Oldham were evacuated after a caravan caught fire this morning. Fire service crews rushed to the blaze, on Montgomery Street in Hollinwood at 9.30am.
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Thieving cleaner: A trusted cleaner stole priceless heirlooms, cash and jewellery from the homes of her clients to sell on eBay, a court was told. Mum-of-two Brenda Carberry, 55, targeted five victims in and around Stockport. More here.
- Moor fire: The public has been urged to stay away from a wildfire that continues to burn on moorland near Oldham. The blaze broke out on Marsden Moor, over the West Yorkshire border from Saddleworth, at around 1.30pm yesterday afternoon. Read more.
Worth a read
Food writer Ben Arnold took a trip to the Trafford Centre to review the very pink and oddly-named El&n. With branches in London's Park Lane, Paris, Milan, Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai and Saudi Arabia, it was never going to be a cheap lunch.
But Ben was still pretty staggered by the size of the bill. Read more here.
That's all for today
Thanks for joining me. If you have stories you would like us to look into, email beth.abbit@menmedia.co.uk.
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The answer to today's trivia question is: Boys in Blue. It was written and recorded by City fans and Strawberry Studio owners Kevin Godley and Lol Creme of 10cc, and their Manchester United-supporting bandmate Graham Gouldman. City legends Colin Bell and Mike Summerbee were among the players who sang on the track.
