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Here's the Mancunian Way for today:
Hello,
In scenes reminiscent of The Snowman, many people in Manchester woke up this morning to a thick blanket of snow. It led to a number of school closures in Oldham and some ‘scary’ scenes on the M62, with a yellow weather warning in place across the country over the weekend.
Greater Manchester had an ‘amber’ weather warning in place until midday today, so it looks like we may have had the worst of it for now. Whilst many of us are able to stick the heating up (only slightly) and hide under a warm duvet, not everyone is so fortunate.
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Omer Bin Saleh is sat by a bin on the approach to Piccadilly Station on Thursday morning, where temperatures reached as low as -3C. Despite clutching an umbrella in the bitter breeze, he admits his sleep last night was 'alright'.
Omer tells the M.E.N’s Ethan Davies that he has been homeless for ‘most of my life’ and only came to Britain ‘a couple of months ago’ after a spell of sleeping rough in Europe.
“The quality of life, even on the streets, is better," he says of why he came to the UK. "Sometimes life is just difficult.”
When asked what could help him get through the wintry weather, Omer simply tells Ethan: “I am after a good pair of quality socks.” And so, Ethan nips to the shops and comes back with socks and a drink in hand. “Thank you very much,” he beamed. “That’s awesome.”
On the other side of the city in Deansgate, Ethan finds Mark Taylor. Mark says he has been on the streets for nine months now.
“I slept literally there on Christmas Day,” the 40-year-old says as he points towards the doorway of the Kendals building, now home to House of Fraser.
“It was pretty cold [last night]. Obviously over the last nine months, I have been out in -9C, so it’s nothing new to me.”
Charity Street Support Network says local councils across the country will be providing additional emergency accommodation to people living outside during these cold periods.
"Adverse weather provision is provided when the weather is forecast to be sub zero," the organisation says. “At this point the usual guidelines over who the council has a duty to provide emergency accommodations for are lifted, and extra provision is made for rough sleepers, regardless of their status.”
You can read Ethan's piece here.
A colossal battle
Ongoing efforts to save Oldham Coliseum have reached a ‘stalemate’ after performance union Equity met with Arts Council England representatives in Manchester on Thursday.
The theatre company, which employed 70 people, announced earlier this year that its financial security had been ‘decimated’ after its funding from the Arts Council was dropped due to concerns about the theatre’s financial management, leadership and governance.
With its impending last day on March 31, hundreds of campaigners - including actress Maxine Peake - are urging for the venue to be saved from closure and hoped the talks between the union and the Arts Council could lead to potentially good news.
However, following talks with the arts body, general secretary of Equity Paul Fleming said: “We’re disappointed with the decision, we’re disappointed with the strategy, we’re disappointed with the structure of the Arts Council and we’re disappointed with their policies and proposals.”
The Arts Council said it has committed to providing £1.845m to Oldham over the next three years, with money to be allocated to bids coming from the local authority. Oldham council chiefs want to open a new ‘more modern’ theatre, with an aim to open in 2026, featuring an auditorium with between 300 and 350 seats, as well as a 120-seat studio.
A spokesperson for Arts Council England told the M.E.N's Local Democracy Reporter Charlotte Green: “Oldham Coliseum Ltd has been facing financial and governance challenges for some time and as guardians of public money we could not invest in an organisation at such a high risk.
“We’re standing by our commitment to invest £1.85 million in performing arts in Oldham over the next three years, which will create new opportunities for artists and audiences.”
Mr Fleming said the battle over the future of Oldham Coliseum was ‘certainly not over’. He added: “And it’s not over until we have won a commitment to ensure that those 400 actor weeks a year, the same level of actor employment is met within Greater Manchester.”
£120k worth of parking tickets
New figures have revealed that Wigan Council raked in more than £120,000 from parking fines outside Royal Albert Edward Infirmary between 2018 and 2022 - with £37,000 worth of fines handed out in the last year alone.
The council issued 5,111 fines over the four years on Wigan Lane, Bellingham Drive, Clifton Crescent, Bellingham Mount, and Kingsmede, according to figures from a Freedom of Information request (FOI) obtained by Local Democracy Reporter George Lythgoe.
Wigan Council said parking enforcement was ‘necessary’ to keep the areas clear of obstructions for emergency vehicles, but chief staff at the hospital admitted there was a need - and a clear demand - for more parking near the hospital.
Tabitha Gardner, chief finance officer at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “WWL fully recognises the need for additional car parking for both staff and visitors.
“With this in mind, WWL and Wigan Council are looking at a number of alternative solutions, such as making shared use of underutilised car parking off site, and we will continue to work on a joint car parking strategy to support the needs of both organisations to the benefit of the public, our patients and our staff visiting the area.”
Across the UK, councils have raked in as much as £3.2m in parking fines since 2018, according to an FOI submitted by Specialist car group Motorfinity - Wigan sits 7th in the top 10 list for the amount of money collected by the council.
You can read the full piece here.
'Inadequate'
Seven care homes in Greater Manchester have been rated ‘inadequate’ by health inspectors at their most recent review.
The failing care homes were identified following inspections across the country by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Inspectors visiting one care home in Marple heard ‘allegations that people had been subject to institutional abuse’.
The CQC report, published last November, noted that ‘several investigations’ were being carried out by local authority safeguarding teams as a result. The care home did not respond to the M.E.N’s requests for comment at the time of the report.
In total, 230 care homes were rated as inadequate at their latest inspection. There were 26 identified in the North West, with the South East leading with a total of 42.
Research from the Office for National Statistics found that there were an estimated 360,000 care home residents in England last year, which was an 8 per cent fall from before the pandemic.
A CQC spokesperson said: “The majority of care homes in England are good or outstanding and this reflects the incredible efforts of care workers and providers who have gone above and beyond to provide high quality care.
“However, in some locations this is not the case. When our inspections find that people are not receiving care which meets their needs and expectations, we take regulatory action to ensure this improves.
“If people have concerns about the care they or their loved ones receive, we encourage them to share their experiences with us so we can respond.”
You can find the worst performing care homes in your area by using this data graphic here.
HS-due?
Construction on the HS2 link line to Manchester has been delayed by two years, the Government has confirmed.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the decision to 'rephase construction' of the line to the North West from the West Midlands was in an attempt to cut down on costs. In response, Labour said the decision meant the North was again having to 'pay the price' for Government failures.
Lord McLoughlin, chair of Transport for the North, warned the Government that the ‘disappointing’ delays could have a reverse intended effect and could still see huge costs.
“It needs to be understood whether or not these cost savings can be realised while still achieving the same desired outcome and conditional outputs,” he said. “The government needs to avoid being penny wise and pound foolish, as delays don’t necessarily lead to savings, and in fact can drive costs upwards."
Mr Harper insisted the Government was still 'committed' to the phase, with an 'aim' to deliver HS2 services to Crewe and beyond 'as soon as possible’. Phase One of HS2 involves the railway being built between London and Birmingham, with the line extended out from the West Midlands to Crewe in Phase 2a. Phase 2b would connect Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to the East Midlands.
Leaders at Northern Powerhouse Partnership said although the delay was 'disappointing', they were 'relieved that the most northerly section of the route between Crewe and Manchester will be protected as the section makes its way towards parliamentary approval'.
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Weather etc
Saturday: Sunny intervals but yellow weather warning for ice and snow remains in place. 6C.
Road closures: M67 Eastbound entry slip road closed due to long-term roadworks at J2 St Annes Road (Denton). Until 1st December 2025.
A575 Walkden Road Northbound closed due to electricity work from Kingsway to Edge Fold Crescent. Until 17th March.
A669 Lees Road (Oldham) closed in both directions due to water main work between Cross Street and and Moorhey Street. Until 15th March.
Trams: There will be disruption at the weekend to a number of Metrolink services in the city centre. More info here.
Trivia question: What year did Oldham Coliseum Theatre open?
Manchester headlines
- Police: Officers in Greater Manchester are demanding a 17 per cent payrise after 'feeling the pinch'. As part of their jobs, cops can't partake in strike action and the Police Federation of England and Wales said this restriction is having a negative impact on staff. More here.
- 'Fed up': Residents in Ancoats said they have been left furious by 'disgraceful' parking outside their homes. They say people, who will usually park on their streets before walking into town, are making it dangerous for bin lorries and emergency vehicles.
- NQ: Liam Gallagher has led the tributes and disbelief that Northern Quarter shop Oi Polloi is closing up. "Best shop in the UK," he tweeted. More here.
Worth a read
A couple with a one-year-old son say they have 'never been happier' after ditching their corporate jobs in favour of life on a narrowboat.
Joanna, 34, and Victor Gould, 34, said they wanted to now live 'life on their own terms' after first purchasing the boat back in 2015. After paying more than £30,000 on renovations, they gave up their old lives as editors in London for the Cheshire countryside. They have even now bought a second boat, which operates as a café.
"Don't get us wrong, we have long days, not only with the café boat but with our little one," Joanna explains.
"But it just means we are able live life for ourselves, not on the company clock. Maintaining the boat takes a lot of time but it's so worth it."
You can read their story here.
That's all for today
Thanks for entrusting me and Tom to look after you this week. The wonderful Beth Abbit will be back to her usual duties on Monday.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: 1885.
READ MORE: Helen Flanagan begged to 'stop' as she shares picture of herself in a wedding dress to mark International Women's Day
