Manchester city centre councillor Kevin Peel slams the rise of ‘Zombie car parks’ and calls for action to bring forward development.

City centre councillor Kevin Peel has called for an end to the spread of ‘Zombie car parks’ in the city centre – ‘temporary’ car parks springing up on undeveloped sites across the city centre.

His call follows an application by the owners of the former BBC site on Oxford Road to use the site as a car park until it is developed.

The site owners have so far been unwilling to engage with councillors and residents about their plans for the site and have been operating a car park without planning permission for several weeks.

Cllr Kevin Peel said:

“Residents are fed up of seeing car parks springing up all over the city centre that are supposed to be temporary but end up staying there for years. While they are earning a profit, developers have no incentive to bring forward plans to develop these sites and so they languish as car parks indefinitely, creating an eyesore for residents and visitors to the city centre.

“We’ve had enough of this practice. We’ll be objecting to the site on Oxford Road having permission to operate as a car park for any longer than a year and we will be demanding environmental improvements to the site as a condition of approval. We’ll be taking a similar approach to any future applications.

Furthermore, we will be cataloguing the existing sites within the city centre and asking council bosses to write to owners and ask them what their plans for development are.”

Residents who wish to comment on the planning application for Oxford Road can do it online at www.manchester.gov.uk/planning quoting reference 101980/FO/2013/C1 or e-mail your local councillors.

Friends of Sackville Gardens warmly invite you to their first neighbours picnic on Saturday 1st June from 11am.

We expect you to bring the laughter (and some sunshine if you’ve got some spare), as well as your friends and your family. There’ll be food and soft drinks for you to enjoy!

There’ll be fun and exciting activities for the kids and local community groups will be around to have a chat.

Come down, have fun, perhaps you can offer your time moving forward… we’d love to find out how green your fingers are. We look forward to seeing you there.

www.lgf.org.uk/gardens

Manchester City Council will be ‘Flying the Flag’ above the Town Hall today to raise awareness of the impacts of hate crime, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) communities.

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) is marked every year on May 17th across the world to remember the date that homosexuality was removed from the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organisation; May 17th 1992.

IDAHO is also an opportunity to celebrate the positive contribution LGBT communities make to Manchester and we encourage other organisations and individuals to do the same.

MCC continues to support our partners and communities across the city to challenge these issues through a number of initiatives including the recently published Manchester Hate Crime Strategy, developed in partnership with GMP and the Crown Prosecution Service, through the city’s refreshed equalities funding programme and by working closely with organisations such as the Lesbian and Gay Foundation on their ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign and LGBT Youth North West on their educational work with young people to tackle homophobia.

Councillors Kevin Peel and Bev Craig, Lead Members for LGBT issues on Manchester City Council, said:

“IDAHO reminds us how far we have come, but the brutal rape and murder of a gay man in Russia last week shows us how far we still have to go.

“Manchester City Council has a record it should be proud of in standing up for the rights of LGBT people in the city and long may it continue.

“Over the next year we’ll be looking at what we can do to promote our values of fairness and equality to other cities around the world where being lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans isn’t so accepted.”

To mark IDAHO and to launch the next phase of the Enough is Enough! Action against Homophobia campaign, MCC and LGF are asking you to ‘Kiss Hate Goodbye’ in the city centre on Saturday 18th May. For further information please visit http://www.lgf.org.uk/Take-Action/kiss-hate-goodbye

City centre Labour councillors have welcomed cross city bus plans which will deliver improvements to city centre roads.

Transport for Greater Manchester and Manchester City Council will shortly announce a consultation on the bus priority package which will make way for cross city buses operating through the city centre.

The package includes major changes to Oxford Road, Portland Street and surrounding roads and the introduction of ‘Dutch-style’ cycle lanes.

The plans for Oxford Road and Manchester city centre are part of a wider bus priority package to benefit everybody who travels, lives and works in Greater Manchester. The bus priority package will deliver improvements for buses, cyclists and pedestrians.

The consultation goes live on 22nd May and will run to 26th June. All city centre residents along the affected route will receive a leaflet in the next few days but you can download it here. A separate leaflet detailing the plans for Oxford Road can be downloaded here.

City centre councillor Kevin Peel said:

“These improvements are sorely needed, particularly the introduction of new cycle lanes on Oxford Road.

“I am fully supportive of the proposals but I have asked TfGM to consider relocating the bus stop on Whitworth Street from outside a residential block. I would also like to see the introduction of environmental improvements along the affected roads – new street trees for example.

“I would encourage all residents to participate in the consultation.”

Four consultation events will be held for city centre residents to view the plans and discuss them with representatives from TfGM and Manchester City Council:

• Tuesday 4th June, 2pm – 7pm, Cube Gallery, 113-115 Portland Street, M1 6DW
• Wednesday 5th June, 11am – 5pm, TfGM Piccadilly Online Shop, Piccadilly Gardens, M60 1HX
• Thursday 6th June, 2pm – 7pm, Shudehill Travelshop, Shudehill Interchange, M4 2BS
• Monday 10th June, 2pm – 7pm, Manchester Deaf Centre, Crawford House, Booth Street East, M13 9GH (This event will include information and exhibition materials that are suitable for people with disabilities. A BSL Interpreter will be available at the event.)

Full information can be found on the consultation website at www.tfgm.com/buspriority. E-mail your comments to buspriority@tfgm.com, copying in your Labour councillors.

This article first appeared in the Manchester Evening News on Monday 13th May. You can view it here.

Bosses at the Printworks club have applied to extend their current opening hours by two hours on Friday and Saturday nights.

A nightclub with one of the highest police call-outs in Manchester wants to stay open until 5.30am.

Bosses at Tiger Tiger in the Printworks have applied to extend their current opening hours by two hours on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Withy Grove venue also wants to increase serving alcohol from 3am until 5am.

The M.E.N. revealed on Saturday that police and council chiefs are considering hitting bars with a ‘late-night tax’ to cover the cost of policing the city centre at weekends.

This year, we reported on a list of Greater Manchester pubs, clubs and bars with the highest number of police call- outs. Tiger Tiger had the second highest number over two years – at 496.

Bosses at the club, and pub and club industry leaders, argued the figures were misleading and included incidents in the streets around the venue.

Tiger Tiger was named Best Bar None venue – an award for security and safety – four years running, a spokesman said.

But city centre councillor Kev Peel is writing to town hall licensing bosses objecting to Tiger Tiger’s application over fears of increased booze-related violence and disorder.

Coun Peel said: “It’s just not on. Closing times keep getting later and later. A lot of serious and violent crime happens after 3am, when people are so drunk they’re out of control. It’s going to cause more problems by 5.30am.”

He said he would call on city centre residents to make their feelings known at the town hall.

Information released by Greater Manchester Police showed that Tiger Tiger had 496 call-outs over two years, with 280 for 2012, and 216 for 2011.

The offences included robbery/theft, assaults and rowdy behaviour. The highest month was September 2012, when police were called out 39 times.

City centre chief Coun Pat Karney said: “I will look at this licence application very carefully. We are keeping an eye on all late-night venues in the city centre, particularly those with a large number of police call-outs.”

Phil Burke, spokesman for Manchester Pub and Club Network, warned against police figures, stating the call-out numbers include incidents on the streets around the venue and not just inside. He said licensing teams could ‘kill the night-time economy by stifling successful and responsible bars’.

He said: “If venues want to stay open until 5.30am, fine. There are plenty of conditions the council can use to make sure they keep in line with their licence and act responsibly.”

Information released by GMP shows officers were called to more than 4,000 venues a total of 56,298 times over the two years – 29,884 in 2011 and dropping to 26,414 in 2012.

5th Avenue on Princess Street in the city centre topped the list.

Tiger Tiger only plan to extend their opening hours to 5.30am on Friday and Saturday nights, with the venue closing at 3.30am on Sunday to Thursday.

A bar spokesman said: “Tiger Tiger has been established for 14 years , is Manchester’s busiest and biggest venue with 700,000 customers through the door per year and is also a local landmark. It is a very successful business, supports the local economy employing 150 people, pays its taxes and is a hugely popular element of the city’s nightlife

“This is a best-in-class run club with an enviable record built on high standards that works hand in glove with the Manchester authorities including the police.

“Tiger Tiger has been acclaimed Best Bar None four years in a row in recognition of its status as Manchester’s safest and best-run venue.”

As you may be aware, Network Rail is consulting on proposals for a new railway viaduct spanning the River Irwell between Salford and Manchester, to connect Manchester’s Victoria, Oxford Road and Piccadilly stations. The scheme, which forms part of Network Rail’s plan to improve rail travel and stimulate economic growth across the North (the Northern Hub), will ease a rail bottleneck at the south of Piccadilly and free up space on the network for faster, more frequent services.

Network rail are holding a final round of public consultation events ahead of submission to the Planning Inspectorate in August, and at this stage the full suite of draft application documents will be made available for members of the public and other interested parties for comment.  Network rail are hoping you will be able to drop in and discuss the plans at one of the following events:

8^th & 9^th May – Castlefield Hotel, Liverpool Road, Manchester:  12.00 – 20.00pm

10^th & 11^th May – Creative Media Centre, Chapel Street, Salford:  12.00 – 20.00pm

Once the consultation starts all of the documents will also be available to view on the website:  www.networkrail.co.uk/ordsall

If you have any further queries in the meantime please feel free to contact ordsallconsultation@networkrail.co.uk, copying in your local Labour councillors.

- Tenants and landlords will have mandatory access to redress when they are let down by letting and managing agents.

- Government u-turn follows Labour campaign to secure better rights for tenants and landlords.

Legislation that will give mandatory access to an Ombudsman Scheme for tenants and landlords scorched by poor letting agents and managing agents will now be put forward by the Coalition Government following a concerted campaign by Labour MPs and Peers.

Labour secured debates in the House of Commons on 23rd January and 27th February to discuss private sector housing and our proposals for regulation of letting and managing agents to protect tenants and landlords, however this was dismissed by the Government.

Following a Government defeat in the House of Lords on an amendment moved by Labour Peer Baroness Hayter which would require letting agents to belong to an Ombudsman Scheme, the Government announced in a letter to Lucy Powell MP that it will be supporting this proposal and plans to introduce secondary legislation to bring it about.

City centre councillor Kevin Peel, who has long campaigned for regulation in this area, said:

“This is a victory for tenants and residents who are being let down by poor letting and managing agents who see no incentive to improve their service.

“A key aim of the housing campaign we started with Lucy Powell MP last year was to secure changes in the law that give better protections to tenants and landlords. We brought senior Labour figures to Manchester to hear directly from city centre residents about the need for action.

“This is the first step in that direction but we have a long way to go.”

Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell, who spoke in the Parliamentary debate about this issue, said:

“Labour have led the way on calling for regulation of managing and letting agents and for reform of the wider private housing sector which has too often seen individual tenants unable to guarantee even a minimum standard of service from agents.

“I am pleased that under growing pressure for action, the Government have finally listened and come round to the obvious reality that tenants should be guaranteed access to the Ombudsman. This is a really good first step and will be welcome news to many residents in Manchester, but we could go further still in ensuring that residents are not left to the whim of unscrupulous agents.”

Labour’s Baroness Dianne Hayter, who put forward the amendment in the Lords which forced the Government into action, wrote on her blog:

“The Government’s eleventh hour concession is a great victory for commonsense; and a victory for every tenant and landlord who rely on such agents to rent or look after their property.”

Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister Jack Dromey, who came to Manchester city centre last year to discuss this issue with tenants, tweeted the following:

“Government U-turn compelling letting agents to join a redress scheme for tenants & landlords must be the first step and not the last word!”

We’ll be campaigning to ensure it is not the last word.

Download Labour’s policy review document on private sector housing here.

This article first appeared in the Manchester Evening News on Tuesday 16th April. You can view it here.

Crunch, which was one of the region’s most visited bars by police last year, had their bid turned down as part of a crackdown on Manchester’s gay village excess.

An ‘irresponsible’ bar has been blocked from late opening in a crackdown on Manchester’s gay village excess.

Crunch was one of the region’s most-visited venues by police last year.

It also breached a string of licensing conditions while causing misery for residents.

Now its bid for a 5.30am licence has been rejected by council bosses – who warn it could spark crime and disorder.

Their decision notice says the bar is not being ‘responsibly managed’.

The rejection has been hailed as a triumph by those campaigning for a new, safer gay village.

City centre councillor Kevin Peel, who spoke against Crunch’s application, pledged to challenge any bid for a post-4am licence in the area. He added:

“Enough is enough.

“We can’t let irresponsible venue owners get away with constantly extending their hours and holding councillors, residents and businesses in contempt.

“We’ve got residents directly above Crunch and residents next door – people are frightened to leave their homes as a result of this.

“This is a really positive development. We are not going to tolerate these irresponsible venues in the vision we have got for the village and I will be very supportive of licence reviews where we suspect they are not living up to their responsibilities.”

Manchester council’s licensing committee heard the bar – currently open until 4am – has broken a string of licensing conditions on noise and security.

They also heard it was in the top ten Greater Manchester venues for police call-outs in the last six months of 2012, while angry residents have struggled to raise their concerns with its management.

Nobody at the Canal Street venue was available to comment.

Licensing panel reject application for Saphrau at 10 Canal Street following representations from residents and Labour councillors.

Manchester City Council’s licensing committee today rejected in its entirety a new licence application submitted by the current owner of Crunch at 10 Canal Street for the same venue under the name Saphrau.

A dozen residents and both of your Labour councillors submitted objections to the application, which would have allowed the venue to sell alcohol until 4am on weekdays and 5.30am over the weekend and stay open 24 hours.

Cllr Kevin Peel  attended the meeting to speak on behalf of residents alongside two residents and called for the application to be rejected outright. Following 5 hours of proceedings, the panel rejected the application in full, making the following comments:

- Granting the application would have a negative impact on the crime & disorder licensing objective. GMP noted that the venue had 75 incidents recorded against it in 2012, with the majority of serious incidents occurring after 3am.

- Granting the application would have a negative impact on the public nuisance licensing objective. The additional hours would have a clear detrimental impact on residents living above the venue and next door.

- The applicant has clearly breached conditions on the existing premises licence.

- The application contains inadequate conditions, with many conditions deemed proportionate and appropriate on the existing premises licence removed from the new one.

- The current management of the premises was deemed inadequate.

Cllr Kevin Peel said:

“This is a victory for residents and for everyone who wants to improve the Village. The venue already has a licence which allows it to open until 3.30am during the week and 5am at weekends. A 24 hour licence is excessive and will exacerbate existing problems of crime & disorder, noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour in the Village.

“I hope this sends a message to other venues considering applications to extend their hours beyond reasonable times that it will not be tolerated.

“I will continue working with residents and the vast majority of Village businesses who act responsibly to improve the area.”

(This article first appeared in the Manchester Evening News on Monday 18th March 2013)

A campaign has been launched to halt a surge in city centre roulette machines – dubbed the ‘crack  cocaine’ of gambling.

Bookies have been accused of by-passing legislation to flood Manchester with dangerously addictive games. The city currently has nearly 500 fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) – stand-alone machines capable of taking up to £18,000 an hour.

Campaigners want the government to tighten up the rules – and the council to challenge new applications.

An application for the city centre’s 25th bookmaker, a William Hill on Deansgate, is due to be considered by licensing chiefs in the coming weeks.

City centre councillor Kevin Peel – who is leading the campaign – said:

“Bookies are getting round the rules laid out in the Gambling Act in order to install more of these fixed odds betting terminals – dubbed the crack cocaine of gambling due to their addictive nature.

“I say enough is enough. I am not anti-gambling or anti-bookies – I just think they should be betting shops, not mini-casinos.”

Lucy Powell, whose Manchester Central constituency last year saw £190m gambled away on the terminals – more than almost any other area – is urging action at a national level.

She said: “I’m working in Parliament and with other MPs to tighten regulation of these dangerous machines.”

A spokesman for the Association of British Bookmakers said:

“Betting shops employ over 40,000 people serving eight million customers. They have been open on high streets for over 50 years, and electronic gaming machines have been played in shops for over a decade.

“In that time no empirical evidence has ever been published showing machines are addictive.

“Betting shops do not open in order to introduce new electronic gaming machines – shops open in response to customer demand, footfall and on the basis of factors like rental costs.

“Nor do shops target deprived areas, shops open where there are customers, just as does every other retailer from coffee shops to newsagents to supermarkets to petrol stations.”

Leaders of the national Stop the FOBTs campaign are to address a free public meeting at the Mechanics Institute on Princess Street on Wednesday at 7pm.