Posted on 30 August 2011 by kevpeel
City centre neighbours have called for an end to the ‘nightmare’ of hundreds of buses choking up their street.
People living on Oldham Street in the Northern Quarter say they cannot open their windows because of the noise and air pollution.
They say double and single decker vehicles travel down the street at a rate of almost one per minute at peak times.
Now they’re calling on First, the bus company which runs the majority of buses from the one-way street, to consider using nearby Shudehill Bus Station, which residents say is underused.
First say they are working with local authorities to tackle any problems. Labour & Co-op Councillor for Manchester City Centre Kevin Peel said that he had twice written to First Manchester to request a meeting to discuss the issue.
He added: “It’s a complete nightmare for residents. One told me that she can’t open her window for half an hour without her windowsill acquiring a thick layer of dirt.”
Douglas Field, 38, whose flat on Thomas Street backs on to Oldham Street, said: “I knew when I moved in that this was a lively place, with lots of bars and people going out.
“ But I didn’t quite reckon for the incessant rattle and hum of the buses.”
A spokesman for First said: “We are aware that some residents in the Oldham Street area have raised issues regarding buses. We are busy working in partnership with the local authorities to address these issues.
“It is important to remember that Oldham Street has been a major bus terminus for years and is an important transport hub for many bus routes.”
This article was taken from the Manchester Evening News on Monday 29th August.
Posted on 10 August 2011 by kevpeel
- Councillor Kevin Peel praises ‘bravery and professionalism’ of Greater Manchester Police and thanks residents for helping with clean up.
City Centre resident and councillor Kevin Peel has praised the efforts of Greater Manchester Police in keeping trouble on the streets of Manchester last night to a minimum. He also thanked the hundreds of volunteers who turned up with brushes and binbags this morning to help with the clean-up effort.
Kevin was in contact with the police throughout the day yesterday to monitor the situation and update city centre residents. He has been out on the streets to join the clean-up effort today and met Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband for a tour of Market Street and to meet local police officers, street cleaners and volunteers.
Kevin said:
“Today we saw a city united as hundreds of Manchester residents – young and old and from every community – took up brushes and binbags to get our city back on its feet. The message is clear – this is the true spirit of Manchester, these heartless yobs do not represent our people.
“My heartfelt thanks go to the men and women serving in Greater Manchester Police for their bravery and professionalism. They did us proud and stopped us from seeing scenes as bad as those witnessed in London over the weekend. My thanks too to the council staff who worked through the night to clean up the mess – they did such a good job that many of the volunteers who turned up this morning had nothing to do! My final thanks to the residents of the city centre and the rest of the city who came out to help – you are a credit to Manchester. Special mention for the great young volunteers of the Greater Manchester Youth Network, seen in the photo attached, who show the real face of Manchester’s youth.
“We need to ensure that the images of a city coming together in solidarity – and not the images of the minority of criminals hell bent on destruction – are those that will be remembered from this episode.
“Finally, we need to support the police in doing everything possible to bring the perpetrators to justice. I will be keeping in regular contact with officers in the coming days and weeks to ensure this is done.”
Police have no specific intelligence to suggest similar problems this evening, but to be on the safe side residents should stay off the streets. Call 999 if you witness any criminality that requires urgent attention or call Greater Manchester Police’s general enquiry number on 0161 872 5050 to report anything else. You can also report non-urgent incidents online at http://www.gmp.police.uk/mainsite/mainintelligence.
To get in touch with Cllr Kevin Peel, please call 07944 151 361. Kevin is available to speak to residents all evening.
