A wanted man was found and has been charged following a stabbing in Eccles at the start of October.

Robert Wolfe (13/11/1988) has been charged with section 18 assault, attempted section 18 assault and possession of an offensive weapon.

He has been remanded in custody and will appear before Manchester & Salford Magistrates' Court on Thursday 12 November 2020.

At around 6.40pm on Thursday 1 October 2020, police were called to reports of a stabbing on Church Street.

A 26-year-old man was taken to hospital with injuries which are sadly life changing and required multiple surgery procedures.

United Utilities proposals to place a storm tank on an area of land at the Three Sisters nature reserve have been turned down by a city planning panel yesterday (15th October).

Representatives from the Ellesmere Park Residents Association made an impassioned plea to save the beloved site of biological importance and diversity, stating the devastating impact the work would have on local wildlife and fauna.

They were backed by local councillors Sharmina August and Mike McCusker alongside Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey who gave strong arguments in objection to the application.

Councillor McCusker motioned to refuse the application which was quickly seconded by newly appointed Salford Wildlife Champion, Lewis Nelson.

The voted ended almost unanimously with 9 for refusal and just one abstention. 

It is hoped that the Utilities company will take this show of support as an indication to seek alternative proposals for the area, However, UU can chose to appeal the decision and even ignore it completely due to having a national mandate for large infrastructure projects.

We understand that the Council is seeking a tree protection order as a safeguard.

Eight parks and cemeteries in Salford are now officially among the best in the country.

Agecroft Cemetery has been awarded Green Flag status, joining Blackleach Country Park, Boothsbank Park, Clifton Country Park, Peel Park (Salford), Victoria Park, Winton Park and Peel Green Cemetery, which have kept their Green Flag status for another year.

The national award is given to the top parks, cemeteries, community gardens and other green spaces in the country and the Salford eight are among more than 2,000 around the country to receive or retain the award this year.

Judges rate the areas on being welcoming, clean, healthy, safe and secure and how well they involve the local community.

Salford Civic Centre was lit green last night (Wednesday October 14) along with MediaCityUK, the White Cliffs of Dover and the London Stadium in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to say a massive thank you to parks staff,  volunteers  and the judges who visit and assess sites for all their hard work. 

Councillor David Lancaster, lead member for environment and community safety, said it was a fantastic achievement, he said:

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“Parks are set very high standards to win this prestigious award so it is a real achievement and my congratulations to go to everyone involved. People have appreciated parks and the environment more than ever this year because of lockdown and to know ours are amongst the best in the country is great news,”

The Green Flag scheme is run by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, under licence from the government.

Salford City Council is proposing to introduce landlord licensing for shared homes, where three or four tenants live.

The move comes after inspections over the last 12 months of smaller homes in multiple occupation (HMOs) showed issues with fire safety, damp and heating along with problems over storing and disposing of domestic waste leading to complaints from neighbours.

Ninety two percent of the three and four person HMO homes inspected showed problems ranging from missing to inadequate fire alarm systems despite it being a legal requirement, missing or damaged fire doors, inadequate or blocked escape routes and insufficient measures to prevent fire and smoke spreading. Over a third were damp and/or suffering from mould because of leaky roofs or walls and a third had no or inadequate heating.

When alerted to the dangers, over 80 per cent of landlords or managing agents carried out improvements and removed hazards without the need for formal enforcement action but council statistics show complaints about all houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) have risen from 152 a year in 2015/16 to 265 in 2018/19.

At present only houses where five or more tenants sharing have to be licensed under a mandatory HMO scheme as well as any rented home in parts of Broughton, Charlestown and Lower Kersal and Langworthy, Weaste and Seedley where selective licensing schemes apply.

Under licensing, the landlord and property manager have to demonstrate they are a ‘fit and proper person’ to let the property and that they have suitable management arrangements in place.  The licence will also determine the maximum number of occupants to make sure tenants are not living in cramped and overcrowded properties.

This includes all relevant safety checks being carried out regularly and that tenants have bins and know how to properly recycle and dispose of waste. If the landlord fails to licence the property or breaches conditions of the licence and fails to remedy the situation the council can issue civil penalty notices or prosecute.

Deputy City Mayor, Councillor Tracy Kelly who leads on housing, said the idea of licensing smaller shared properties was to improve housing conditions for tenants and reduce problems in neighbourhoods.

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“We have seen a massive growth in private renting and conversion of properties to houses in multiple occupation in Salford as the city is regarded as an investment hotspot,” she said.

“In the last five years conversions to HMOs of all sizes in selective licensing areas have risen by 460 per cent in Eccles, 410 per cent in Langworthy, Weaste and Seedley and 196 per cent in Broughton. On November 6, 2019, in just three non-licensed areas in Salford there were 57 adverts offering rooms to rent in a shared house. Just over a month later on December 10, that had nearly doubled to 102 such adverts.

“There is currently no legal requirement for landlords of three and four person HMOs to have their property licenced by the council. An extended licensing scheme to cover these properties would enable us to be sure that people are living in safe and decent conditions and not causing issues for the wider community.”

 

Salford City Council has launched a consultation about an additional HMO licensing scheme to see if numbers of three or four person HMOs have increased, if there are any issues as a result and if a licensing scheme should be brought in citywide.

The survey can be completed online at www.salford.gov.uk/smallhmo or comments can be sent in writing to Additional HMO licensing consultation, Salford City Council, Chorley Road, Swinton, Salford, M27 5BY.

The consultation closes on 5 January 2021.

Police are appealing for the public’s help to trace family of man from the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester. 

Ian Howarth, aged 61, passed away at his home on Kirkwood Drive on Wednesday 14 October 2020.

There are believed to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. 

Anyone with information about Ian's next of kin should contact the Police Coroner’s Office in Manchester on 0161 856 2334.

Plans to make cycling safer in Broughton are now open for everyone to have their say.

Salford City Council has launched a four-week consultation today (Wednesday October 14) on proposals which could see road junctions redesigned and new crossings installed along the Broughton cycleway which runs along the Great Clowes Street and Blackfriars Road.

Public feedback is vital in helping the council put together a full business case to secure funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to carry out the scheme.

Councillor Jim Cammell, who leads on cycling for Salford City Council, said the proposals take into account feedback and safety concerns about the route which opened in 2016.

This year has seen a huge increase in cycling for both commuting and pleasure due to the pandemic.

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“Our design team are exploring several opportunities to make cycling and walking along this route more attractive, more direct and safer, especially at road junctions,” he said.

“There is also the potential to connect to Bury’s cycle route on Bury New Road and other Bee network routes in Salford city centre.”

 

The proposals are to redesign six junctions along the route to provide safer cyclist and pedestrian movements by providing fully segregated cycling and walking facilities controlled by traffic signals (known as Cyclops junctions.)

The junctions are: Camp Street/Upper Camp Street/Great Clowes Street junction, Broughton Lane/Great Clowes Street junction, Sussex Street/Great Clowes Street junction, Silk Street/Great Clowes Street junction/St Simon Street/Blackfriars Road junction and Mount Street/St Stephen Street/Blackfriars Road junction.

Work to 19 side roads including tightening turning circles, speed reduction measures and new give way priorities.

Introduce 14 bus stop laybys to separate cyclists and buses and replace and improve all existing armadillos and segregation features creating wider cycle lanes which should prevent vehicles parking in them.

Replace stairs to Broughton bridge and install a new toucan crossing at the location of an existing uncontrolled crossing, remove the Blackfriars Road footbridge and replace it with a new Cyclops junction and close Mount Street to vehicles from its junction with St Stephen Street.

The cycle route will also be resurfaced and trees, rain gardens and planting beds installed along the route.

Anyone with views on the proposed changes should contact Salford City Council by Wednesday November 11:

online at www.salford.gov.uk/mcf

or via Commonplace at: broughtoncyclewayenhancements.commonplace.is

Or by email to mcf@salford.gov.uk

Or by post Broughton cycleway enhancements consultation, Salford City Council, Civic Centre, Chorley Road, Swinton, Salford M27 5FJ

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Eccles resident, Malcolm Duffin who has just won the First Prize at the Association International Duane des les Arts in Catalonia, Spain with a triptych  called Act On.

Here are Malcolm's words to describe the process of creating the artwork

" Act on" uses Anne Brontë's poem "Lines Composed In A Wood On A Windy Day" as a starting point to explore my own yearnings for nature and physical freedom in a time of contagion and pandemic lockdown. 

I live on the edge of the Pennine moors which Anne Brontë inhabited and I have felt their presence throughout my life. "Act On" (a pun on both Anne Brontë's 'pen name' and also the process of constructing this print) consist of a triptych of 3 miniature dry point landscapes (Sea/Moor/Wood) printed onto Snowdon 300 gsm paper that is blind embossed and imbued with materials found in places associated with Anne Brontë's life (Haworth, Scarborough). Additionally, the carborundum used in the dry point was mixed with soils from those locations. 

Due to lockdown travel restrictions, these material were submitted by residents of those communities following a social media appeal. In doing so the physical creation of the work has been an act of resistance and hope by people against the virus and its impact on our lives. It is a recollection of the landscapes both Anne and I know well is physically imbued with their spirit and memory"

Speaking to Malcolm you are immediately struck with the passion he has for his work, telling me that he works in the cellar at home since the covid lockdown and is currently working on a planned exhibition, Viral Portraits.

At the start of the covid pandemic he asked on his Facebook page for 100 photo submissions which he intends turning into portraits which will be etched onto steel plates,100 days being the amount of time the Hot Bed Press in Salford where Malcolm was working was closed.

"The Covid pandemic hit me hard and by altering and changing the submitted portraits once etched, with nails or abrasive tools to represent the virus which has contaminated the world  so it's actually a portrait of the virus.

 "I set myself the rule I'd only use things found around the house during lockdown to make the etchings. So Ruby is drawn with a needle cutting into an aluminium plate. Another aluminium plate (the virus) is created with bleach, drain cleaner, carborundum, a Dremmel drill, metal comb etc etc. 

"This is very random and expressive. I've even left a few outside to the elements. the portrait is then inked and printed on prepared paper and immediately afterwards I 'infect' the image with the other plate. Then colour pink is used as outside my studio when lockdown happened the trees were full of pink cherry blossom which billowed through the air., somehow felt innocuous  and innocent and made the hidden virus all the more sinister."

When completed the plates will hopefully be used in an exhibition in a public place, a forest of faces, swinging in the breeze, a reminder of the hell we are living through, reminiscent of the walls of faces that loved ones pasted up after 9/11 or the Tsunami tragedies in the hope of finding them.

All in all an intriguing prospect and an intriguing artist who I am fascinated by and I am certain you will, for further info look on Malcolm's website

For more info:

https://www.malcolmduffin.art

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2635197106609884/

Plans for a solar farm in Little Hulton and a hydro scheme at Charlestown Weir, Salford have taken another step forward.

City Mayor Paul Dennett has formally agreed to a partnering agreement with Energy Systems Catapult, a not-for-profit centre of excellence that aims to help the council make the most of the clean growth opportunities.

This decision means the council will be able to access expert advice and guidance as well as European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grants to address the gap in funding.

The plan is to build a 3.79 hectare solar farm with 5,094 solar panels at Kenyon Way, Little Hulton which should generate the equivalent of enough power for 438 homes a year. Work to build the state-of-the-art farm will take approximately five months and contractors are expected to start on site in 2021. Planning permission was approved for the site in June 2020.

A hydroelectric scheme, which will be built on the River Irwell at Charlestown Weir, off Riverside Drive, will generate the equivalent of enough electricity to power about 200 homes. Power will be generated by an Archimedes screw and the scheme will incorporate passes to allow fish and eels to swim further up the river. The scheme will be built during the summer of 2022 and should be fully operational by the end of that year.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said:

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“I made a formal decision to partner with Energy Systems Catapult so we can continue with our plans to create a city prepared for the future.

“We are passionate about the environment and proactively looking at opportunities to help us achieve our long-term vision which includes to be carbon neutral by 2038.

“We take our responsibilities seriously and must do all we can to protect the planet for future generations.”

 

These developments come after a long line of green achievements for Salford City Council which have won national recognition. Over the past 10 years, the council has invested £126 million in green space creating new country parks and walking and cycle pathways across the city, as well as planting thousands of trees and investing in huge environmental infrastructure  projects like the Castle Irwell flood basin.

Friends of the Earth has named Salford the most sustainable council in the north west, while the Centre for Thriving Places named the council the greenest and most sustainable in England and Wales.

Mayor Dennett added:

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"The environmental crisis is the most acute threat facing humanity in the modern world. We must take radical action to mitigate the impact of climate change and Salford City Council is leading the way."

Used car marketplace proves itself resilient, according to latest CarShop data

The UK’s largest used car retailer, CarShop, which has a store in Ashton-under-Lyne serving customers across Greater Manchester, has revealed the results of its latest consumer buying trends survey from June 1st to August 31st, 2020, following the business’ closure between March and April due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The data shows that the number of used sports cars bought during these three months across England and Wales has skyrocketed compared to the same period last year - with a staggering increase of 82%.

The motoring experts at CarShop found that Greater Manchester in particular, made up a considerable chunk of this total figure - having seen an increase of 185% more sports cars bought compared to last year’s total. This was second only to the West Midlands, which saw a 200% increase.

Sales of sports cars saw a large jump in Salford, as figures doubled that of last year’s. When ranked amongst the other Greater Manchester boroughs, Salford appeared second for the number of used sports cars bought - having been pipped to the post by Bury.

In Salford, people spent 18% more on used sports cars during this period than they did last year, with the average spend on this type of vehicle going from £10,843 in 2019, to £12,740 in 2020 and the most popular sporty cars in Salford were jointly, the Audi TT and Audi A3.

Paul Harnett, Head of Business at CarShop Manchester, said:

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“The surge of sports car sales in Salford doesn’t surprise me - in these distressing times, people are looking for something positive, fun and exciting to distract them from the current climate. Holidays are on pause, weddings and large family gatherings are postponed, so people have treated themselves.”

Charlotte Ramsden, Strategic Director of People at Salford City Council has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Mrs Ramsden, who joined the council in 2014, has been honoured for her sterling work in supporting the development of services for children and young people across Greater Manchester since 2016.

Thanks to her leadership the region was awarded £7.43 million in government innovation funds to support more families with early social care and work intensively with children and young people on the verge of coming into local authority care.

As part of that work, Salford City Council opened the Route 29 hub last year. Young , people whose foster placement or family situation has broken down can now get instant access to specialists including a psychologist, a speech and language therapist and educational psychologist. Previously young people often had to go outside the city for support and the new hub has led to a reduction in teenagers needing to come into care, a reduction in the council needing to place them outside Salford and an increase in the stability of their placements.

In a pioneering move, the building, services and even staff were designed and chosen with extensive input from young people who had been through the care system.

Mrs Ramsden said she was deeply honoured by the recognition and proud to accept it on behalf of all her Greater Manchester colleagues, she said:

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“This award recognises a true team effort by professionals, politicians, children and young people across Greater Manchester to ensure children and young people live their best lives. We are achieving things by working together that we could never achieve as individual authorities,”

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said:

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“Congratulations to Charlotte, I am delighted she has been recognised nationally for her drive, passion and commitment to working with children and young people in the city and supporting our young people across Greater Manchester.

“Many of the children and young people who come into contact with our services will not know the thousands of hours of time, dedication and expertise that our local government workers put in to make their experience the best it possibly can be. I am really proud of the services we deliver to children and young people and the innovative and inclusive approaches developed, especially during these challenging times. It’s great to see Charlotte’s and everyone’s work being recognised in this way with this award.”

 

The Greater Manchester Children and Young People Plan, endorsed by all 10 authorities has led to extra investment in children’s mental health services, major development work in early years and work and skills and the ‘Greater Manchester guarantee’ for care leavers which supports them with housing, training and education until age 25.

 As a result:

·         More schoolchildren children achieve a good level of development in reception thanks to supportive early years systems

·         More troubled teenagers are being supported to stay safely at home thanks to new intensive ways of working such as Route 29

·         More early help is available to families in difficulties

·         Better identification and support for youngsters at risk of sexual exploitation

·         Stronger partnerships with schools to support pupils

·         Better community based mental health support for children which is fully linked to specialist children and adolescent mental health services.

Mrs Ramsden began her career as a social worker and has worked in Salford before, both as a social worker and as a child protection co-ordinator. She spent four and a half years at Trafford Council before re-joining Salford City Council as director in 2014.

Publication of the Queen’s Birthday honours list was postponed from June so people who played key roles in the pandemic could be added.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett has pledged to continue the fight against homelessness as Salford marks World Homelessness Day (Saturday October 10.)

Mayor Dennett said the council had faced one of its most challenging years ever with the impact of COVID-19 and that a tough winter could lie ahead.

He urged anyone worried about debts to seek advice now and pledged to continue the drive to support rough sleepers and provide more affordable housing.

This year Salford City Council was highly commended in the Local Authority of the Year award for its work on creating new homes and affordable housing and in tackling poverty which can lead to homelessness.

The council’s supported housing team also won two team of the year honours in the national 2020 Housing Heroes awards for cutting rough sleeping by more than 80 per cent and helping over 900 homeless households into settled accommodation including 82 veterans, but Mayor Dennett said the council would not rest on its laurels because of the scale of the challenge.

One of the biggest successes in tackling rough sleeping has been the Greater Manchester A Bed Every Night (ABEN) scheme, which Mayor Dennett described as ‘a lifeline.’ Salford also recently secured £417,440 of government funding to provide additional temporary accommodation for rough sleepers as well as longer term private sector options for them - the second largest allocation in Greater Manchester.

Paul said:

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“When lockdown began, we had to move over 50 people from shelter style accommodation into hotels and single rooms at short notice to keep them safe. Our team continued their outreach work throughout, taking food parcels and offering support to people. At its peak we had 223 people in ABEN accommodation; now we are supporting an average of 193 people through the scheme every single night,” he said.

“We have a huge lack of decent affordable homes, which Salford is working hard to address but  with the economic impact of the pandemic, the end of the furlough scheme and the resumption of evictions, I am worried that we face a very tough winter ahead.

“I’d urge anyone who is worried about rent or mortgage arrears to get help now. There is advice available including from the council’s own welfare rights and debt advice service which has successfully helped hundreds of people this year. Since March, our advisers have seen a 71 per cent increase in people making contact because they are worried about mounting debts.

“Last year we saw 307 new, affordable homes built predominantly by local housing associations with another 1,158 in the pipeline. The council’s local housing company Dérive has delivered 30 new homes since it was set up and plans to deliver another 77 and we have planning applications under consideration for another 100 homes which will be delivered directly by Salford City Council. Every home delivered is a success story but we need so many more to meet demand.”

 

Children and young people in Salford have put pen to paper to draw their communities together during National Hate Crime Awareness Week which runs from Saturday October 10 to Saturday October 17. 

Schools in north east Salford took part in a competition organised by Salford City Council and Greater Manchester Police to create posters speaking out against hate crime.

Using a quote from the late MP Jo Cox - “We are far more united than the things that divide us” - they were asked to send out a message against hate crime and encourage people to be kind to each other.

The images were created in schools and groups by young people during Greater Manchester’s Hate Crime Awareness Week in February.

The winning entries have been chosen to use on social media during national Hate Crime Awareness Week, which runs from Saturday 10 to Saturday 17 October to reinforce the message that there is no place for hate speech, aggression or violence in today’s society.

Councillor David Lancaster, lead member for environment and community safety, praised the children’s messages and said:

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“Hate crime is vile. There is no excuse or reason for abusing or harming someone because they have a disability, are of a different race or religion to you or because they are gay or trans. We’re all human beings and we need to respect and be kind to each other.”

Inspector Bev Catterall of GMP's Salford district, said:

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“Tackling hate crime is a priority for officers in Salford and we are committed to reducing it, investigating reports of it and supporting victims.

"Our communities are made vibrant by the diverse faiths and backgrounds of the people who live, work and visit our area and we wanted to use this competition to celebrate this and encourage community cohesion and inclusion.  

"The children created some powerful artwork which sends out the message that hate crime will not be tolerated in our city.

“If you've been a victim or a witness of hate, report it to Greater Manchester Police on 101 or visit www.letsendhatecrime.com to report or receive help and support.”

 

The winners and runners up were chosen from around 100 entries and are:

Brentnall Primary School:

Winner: Shivakari aged eight

Highly commended:  Melody aged 11

Moorside Primary School:

Winner: Karyn aged 10

Highly Commended: Tom aged 11

Summerville Primary School:

Winner: Yara aged 11

Highly commended: Yesal aged 11

Each received £100 for their school, a certificate and presentation print and their artwork is being posted on Salford City Council's social media feeds all next week. 

Three men handed four-year injunction orders as part of GMP operation to tackle organised crime in Salford

Three men from Salford have been served with four-year civil injunction orders as part of GMP's ongoing operation into serious and organised crime in the city.

James Swindells (12/08/1998) of Hereford Road, Mitchum Fisher (28/07/1999) of Russell Road, and Tyler Lomas (12/11/1997) of The De Traffords, were each handed a four-year order at a hearing at Manchester County Court on Wednesday 30 September 2020.

The civil injunction, under part one of the Anti-Social and Behaviour Crime and Policing Act, was ordered after an application from GMP as part of Operation Naseby - the dedicated response to organised crime in the area - with support from Salford City Council.

The conditions outlined in the order prevent Swindells, Fisher and Lomas from entering particular areas of the borough, and from making contact with specified individuals for the next four years.

Also included in the conditions is an order preventing them from inciting or causing conduct that is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person within the area of Salford, as well as possession of a bladed article or hammer.

Any suspected breach of the provisions can lead to arrest and subsequent imprisonment or fine for being in contempt of court.

Since the inception of the Operation Naseby disruption hub in April 2020, there have been 117 arrests, 101 vehicles seized and 46 house searches.

GMP have also been working alongside partners in Salford City Council as part of Project Gulf, an initiative dedicated to tackling organised crime in the city with a view to deter reoffending as well as taking down criminal groups.

Detective Chief Inspector Rick Thompson, of GMP's Salford division, said:

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"This civil injunction is a significant result and one that we believe will play a further part in helping us keep the streets of Salford clear of serious and organised crime.

"While we are relentlessly working to ensure those involved in criminal activity are brought through the courts and face justice, we are keen to continue using whatever legal avenues are available to us to disrupt the activity taking place between individuals operating in criminal groups.

"Any breaches of these orders are a serious offence and it is important that anyone who suspects there to be any breaches of these civil injunctions contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers with any information they may have."

 

Councillor David Lancaster, lead member for environment and community safety, Salford City Council, said:

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“This is welcome news and an example of good partnership working.”

Anyone with any information should contact police on 101 quoting Operation Naseby. Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Police are appealing for the public's help to trace a wanted man from the Eccles area.

Robert Wolfe (13/11/1988) is wanted in connection with a serious stabbing that took place in Eccles Town Centre on Thursday 1 October 2020.

The victim of this assault sustained serious, potentially life-changing injuries.

Wolfe is known to have links to the Eccles, Weaste and Ordsall areas of Salford.

Anybody with information regarding the whereabouts of Robert Wolfe is asked to contact police on 0161 856 5351 or the independent charity, Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Cadishead Councillor Lewis Nelson has been appointed as Salford's first Wildlife Champion.

In this role, Councillor Nelson will be responsible for championing wildlife across city and working with partners and residents to improve green spaces for wildlife.

He will also take responsibility for creating a Salford Wildlife Forum, similar to that of the Salford Walking and Cycling Forum, that will allow residents to shape the priorities of the city in respect to wildlife.

Lewis is one of the youngest councillors in Salford but has been directly involved in helping to protect the the local moss lands and its huge variety of wildlife since an early age. He was a regular face at the Barton Moss anti-fracking camp and has stood against proposals which would see over a thousand new homes built on Chat Moss.

Since becoming a local councillor he has remained a keen environmentalist campaigner and has used his voice to champion the need to protect the green lungs of Salford on countless occasions, often putting himself at odds with his fellow councillors in his area.

Despite tough opposition Lewis won his seat in Cadishead based purely upon his own merits and the hard work and shear dedication he has put into his local and wider Salford community, he remains committed to working hard to protect the local greenbelt as well as Salford's other greenspaces and its wildlife. 

This important role for Salford could not have been placed in a more safer and well suited pair of hands.

Councillor Lewis Nelson said

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"This is a role I am extremely excited to get stuck into. I am extremely passionate about wildlife and our green assets across Salford, I am excited to see what work I can achieve working alongside the residents of Salford to improve wildlife habitats across the city".

Pictured is Councillor Nelson visiting Dales Brown in Swinton.

A project that has introduced a new sustainable drainage scheme, created a new diverse habitat, and has become a true asset for local people to enjoy.

A 15-year-old was tasered after assaulting two officers at around 11:55am yesterday morning (Tuesday 6th October).

Police responded after observing a public order offence on Cobden Street in Pendleton whilst out on a routine patrol.

The youth was challenged but allegedly assaulted two officers before snatching a piece of police equipment from their person.

At which point one of the officers deployed a taser to maintain the safety of all involved which struck him and left him writhing on the floor until they could properly detain him.

The youngster was detained and taken to Salford Royal Hospital under guard as a precaution.

Police say that he was detained under normal procedure.

A GMP press statement reads:

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"At 11.10am on Tuesday, October 6, police on a routine patrol of the Salford area observed a public order offence.

"Whilst responding, two officers were assaulted and a piece of police equipment was snatched from one of them.

"To maintain the safety of all involved, an officer deployed their Taser.

"A 15-year-old boy was subsequently detained and, in line with normal procedure, taken to hospital as a precaution."

 

Police are asking for the publics help to locate missing man - Marley Moorhouse, also known as Peter, 46, who was last seen leaving his address at Braeburn House, Salford at around 9am on 2 October 2020.

He is described as a white male, 5ft 9, large build with a shaven head. At the time he went missing he was wearing grey coloured tracksuit, a yellow shirt, white training shoes and was carrying a small black bag.

He was also wearing glasses and a hearing aid.

Officers are becoming increasingly concerned about Marley and want to make sure he is safe and well.

Anyone with information about Marley's whereabouts should contact police on 0161 8568351 quoting ref MSP/06FF/0002079/20.

The hospitality sector has taken some of the largest financial hits during the past 8 months, with national lockdown and enforced closures having massive impacts on the pub industry in particular.

Some pubs have already succumbed to their financial strains and others are at the brink of closure as local lockdown restrictions placed upon them are drastically cutting into the precious profits they need to survive.

With the second wave spread of the virus showing no signs of slowing, Greene King who operate a number of pubs & restaurants within Salford have announced that one third or 79 of their venues will have to close permanently with up to 800 job losses.

Although none of the closures have been identified in Salford as yet, it still paints a stark picture of the problems that publicans are facing, and with the spectre of a second national lockdown at some point in the not too distant future, the outlook for Salford's hospitality industry is looking grim to say the least.

Greene King operates a number of pubs and restaurants within Salford. From the Bridgewater and John Gilbert in Worsley to the White Horse in Swinton, Barley Farm in Eccles, the Royal Sovereign in Weaste and The Moorings in Boothstown.

Although no announcement has been made on which venues will close, it has left those reliant on the jobs and income they provide extremely anxious and worried for their futures.

The owners and operators have done all they can to ensure the safety of the public and it was just over a month ago that the Government message was to get out and support them, now it seems that they are being abandoned to the wind and left to fend for themselves.

One landlord we spoke to who wishes to remain anonymous told us that he had staked his life savings and home on renovations to his pub, only for lockdown to decimate his earnings and leave him in the heart breaking situation in which he stands to loose everything as the banks move in.

Kier Starmer and the Labour Party have challenged the governments stances on local lockdowns which are by the evidence, clearly not working as infection rates increase. The hospitality industry is an easy target to blame for the rises but it can not be helped but be noticed in the data that the infection rates have increased side by side with the new college and university terms, most of the major hot spots are focused around university areas and the majority of those who are becoming infected at the moment are of the younger age groups.

It is time for a reality check and another look at the evidence in the data. The hospitality sector operated for months whilst maintaining low infection rates in most areas in the country and yet they seem to be taking the brunt of the blame for the recent spiking spread.

Manchester's universities have recently had to put all learning online for the foreseeable future in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus across its campuses.

Over 500 students and faculty at Manchester Met alone have tested positive for the virus and it is feared that it is just the tip of a very large iceberg.

However, the blame can not be put blame on the students who were promised and have paid for an education and the university experience, which clearly they are not getting. It is just common sense in that when you place so many people into close proximities with each other, the routes for the virus to spread multiply and those newly infected people will then go on to add to the exponential spread. This is very much a failure to understand the simple mechanisms which allow infection rates to exponentially grow.

Whatever the outcome in the coming weeks, for some in the hospitality industry their fate is sealed, they will lose jobs, lose their income, be forced to find alternative work in an already diminishing job market and ultimately many face being forced on to benefits.

It is predicted that more job losses in the sector will follow, with pub Chain Fullers admitting that they could be looking at 500+ job losses at some point soon unless their is a radical change and support from the government.

The virus may have the potential to kill but it is also killing jobs and local economies just as much so.

The Lowry to re-open its galleries at weekends from 1 November : Permanent LS Lowry collection and new 'Days Like These' exhibition on display

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thelowry/albums/72157634044110222

The Lowry will re-open the doors of its galleries next month for the first time since March.
Opening to the public at weekends from Sunday 1 November, visitors will be able to enjoy the permanent LS Lowry collection and a new exhibition documenting the lockdown experiences of people from Salford entitled 'Days Like These'.
Both exhibitions are free of charge and will be open 11am – 4pm.

COVID-19 prevention measures will be in place across the galleries, including: 

• Compulsory face masks

• Social distancing in operation

• Hand sanitising stations

• One-way system throughout building

• Timed entry

• Temperature checks on arrival

Julia Fawcett OBE, chief executive of The Lowry, said:

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“We’re excited to re-open our galleries following more than seven months of closure.

“These weekend openings allow us to share the ever-popular LS Lowry collection with loyal followers of his work – and showcase new art submitted by the people of Salford documenting their experiences of lockdown in an exhibition ‘of the moment’ called Days Like These.”

 

Days Like These features paintings, photographs, films and poetry contributed by some of the 245,000 residents of Salford – from empty streets and the joy of reuniting, to the impact on frontline workers and the challenges of being alone.

Contributions are still being accepted. More information about how to submit your work can be found here.

The Lowry galleries are named The Andrew and Zoe Law Galleries in recognition of the couple’s £1m donation to the arts centre, which is a registered charity.

Salford Museum & Art Gallery are delighted to announce that their celebration of Salford based artists returns for 2020, showcasing the very best artwork from anyone born, living, working or studying in Salford.

Open to all ages, this is an exciting opportunity to have your work exhibited, right here at Salford Museum & Art Gallery.

Whether you are a established artist or you’ve decided to get creative during lockdown, whatever your background, they want to hear from you.  

Works can be submitted in any medium including painting, drawing, print, textile, photography, sculpture, mixed media and digital.

There are three days where you can submit work to Salford Museum & Art Gallery. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, submission slots must be booked in advance.

Submission dates are Thursday 19, Friday 20 and Saturday 21 November.

How to Enter

Visit our website and read our Submission Guidelines - Link

Select a submission date and time and book a slot, ensuring you include the details requested about you and your work

Drop off your labelled work at your allotted time between 19 – 21 November

There is a charge of £5 per entry. Each artist may enter up to two works. This is non-refundable and will need to be paid by card during the hand-in.

The Exhibition

The exhibition will run from 5 December 2020 to 21 February 2021 and will feature a range of works selected from all submissions. Those featured in the exhibition will also be entered into a competition where we will be awarding a First Prize, People’s Choice and Young Artist Award.

For more information please see https://salfordmuseum.com/event/open-subs/