An Architectural Chrismas Market December 14, 2009

Please go along to Manchester School of Architecture and join in with Manchester School of Architecture Christmas market.  There will be a range of interesting architecture related fun activities, things to ponder and items for sale. There will be refreshments including mulled wine, mince pies and gingerbread.

As well as interesting activities and fun things to look at, the market will be an opportunity to discuss some of the student architects’ projects for the city of Manchester – projects which include the following issues and areas:

Homelessness and squatting
Reuse of empty sites across the city
The redevelopment of Oldham town hall square
Linking Cheetham hill and the Irk Valley
Promoting Ardwick green
The culture of the Northern Quarter
The cities approach to prostitution
Spaces for contemplation
Hosting the next G20 summit in Manchester
The St.Peter’s Square redevelopment
The redevelopment of Chorlton district centre
The rise of growing your own food
Lighting The River Irk
Future paradigms
Creative unemployment
The future of Wythenshawe civic centre

We hope you can spare some time during the day to come and see us -  pop in for 10 minutes, stay for a longer discussion or come and join in one of the design games or other activities.

10am – 6pm 18th December

Manchester School of Architecture
ROOM 602
Chatham Tower
All Saints Campus
Cavendish Street
Manchester
M15 6BR

Manchester’s Climate Action Website December 11, 2009

Hello,

Here is the address for Manchester’s Climate Change Action website:

http://www.manchesterclimate.com/

This website supports residents, communities, schools, local businesses and organisations in changing our individual and combined behavior to act on climate change, principally in reducing emissions to the tune of over 1 million tonnes by 2020.  It goes beyond changing lightbulbs and is the the most comprehensive climate change action plan of any city in the country.

Climate Change Action Plan Launch with Ed Miliband November 26, 2009

Hello Everyone.

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband will take part in a public rally in Manchester on the 8th December at Manchester Central. This event is jointly hosted by DECC and Friends of the Earth Manchester and it will be Ed Miliband’s last event before he travels to Copenhagen, and an opportunity for participants to take part in a Q & A discussion.

The Leader of Manchester City Council has been invited to attend and will use this opportunity to launch the city’s stakeholder climate change action plan, Manchester: A Certain Future.

This event will take place:

Tuesday 8 December,

Doors at 5PM for a start at 6:30PM

The Exchange Auditorium, Manchester Central (ex G-Mex)

If you wish to attend, please email RSVP@decc.gsi.gov.uk, with Manchester, 8 December in the subject line. Please make sure to include your name and names of people who wish to attend with you if relevant. You will receive a confirmation by email that your tickets have been booked.

Manchester: A Certain Future November 18, 2009

It effects you all, each and everyone of you.

This is the Climate Change Action Plan for the City.  Manchester: A Certain Future available on the SNAG documents page,  goes before scrutiny committee today.  Once ratified my the Council the document will be published and launched in December, coinciding with the UN Copenhagen Conference.  For more information on Copenhagen please see: http://en.cop15.dk/ or get in touch for info on Climate Change and what Manchester is doing to reduce it’s carbon footprint.

Best Wishes, Tim

The Infrastructure Planning Commission & National Policy Statements November 17, 2009

Listen Up!

The 2008 Planning Act introduced a new planning system for applications to build “nationally significant infrastructure” facilities in England and Wales.

National Policy Statements (NPSs) are the foundation of this new planning system, and they set out the Government’s policy on “nationally significant infrastructure”.  Twelve National Policy Statements are being prepared by the relevant Government departments, based on existing government policy.  Before being finalised, they will each be subject to public consultation and scrutiny by parliament:

• renewable energy – on and off shore
• fossil fuel power stations
• gas & oil supply and storage
• electricity networks – the grid
• nuclear power stations

These NPSs have been produced by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and are out for consultation from now until 22nd February 2010.

• ports
• national networks – rail and road
• airports

These NPSs are the work of the Department for Transport (DfT).  Ports is out for consultation from now until 15th February 2010; National Networks opens in spring 2010 and Aviation late next year.

• waste water
• hazardous waste
• water supply

These are being produced by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and will be out for consultation in spring, summer and autumn of next year respectively.

Under the new planning system the decision making for power for planning applications has been taken away from Government and placed in with the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC).  However, a quick look at there web-site revealed that they are part of Central Office of Information (COI) the Government’s centre of excellence for marketing and communications!  So how independent the IPC is I can’t say…

Until a NPS is formally designated by the Secretary of State, following public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny, the IPC (although up and running) does not have the power to decide applications just yet.

So why get involved?

It is important to make your views known because once finalised the NPSs will provide the framework for future decisions by the IPC on individual applications.  Issues relating to the need for specific types of infrastructure will not be debated again.

Except for NPSs on nuclear power stations and airports, specific locations for infrastructure are not identified (meaning they could go anywhere whether you like it or not) although criteria may guide developers to appropriate types of area.

Planning Aid North West have provided me with some guidance on the NPSs out for consultation now, they can be found on the SNAG documents page: www.snag.org.uk/documents.  I’ll touch back on this in the new year once the Core Strategy and Waste Plan consultations are out of the way.

Best Wishes, Tim.

Next SNPB Papers Out November 16, 2009

Hi All,

The papers for the next Sustainable Neighbourhoods Partnership Board meeting to be held on the 24th November 2009 are now available on the SNP documents page of this site:

www.snag.org.uk/documents/snp

Best Wishes, Tim.

SNP Forum / Core Strategy 8th December November 9, 2009

Hello All,

The SNP Forum scheduled for 8th December is no more : (

Instead Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, on behalf of Manchester City Council, invites you to attend the Core Strategy Seminar  : ) !!!

So what is the difference?  Unlike a normal SNP Forum there will be some issues covered such as the Airport and Transport and Economy which aren’t aren’t normally discussed.

With the Core Strategy nearing its final stages Planning Strategy are keen to get your views on the Proposed Options document which can be found on the documents page of this website.  For the first time in this process, the Proposed Options proposed policy ideas in line with submissions from the last round of consultation, Refining Options.

The Event will be run in two sessions, one afternoon and one evening – see booking form below for details.

You get to choice which session to go to and which workshops you’d like to attend out of the following:

Housing, District Centres, Environment, Airport, Transport, Economy and General.

If you would like to attend please fill out the attached form:

Pre-Registration Form

It will be assumed that attendees have already read the document or at the very least chapters relevant to the workshops selected to attend.  SNAG members will be issued with a briefing paper which will summarize the content and the emerging policy.

Core Strategy Consultation October 30, 2009

OK we’re almost there now

Welcome to the Proposed Options Stage the Core Strategy for Manchester.  Consultation opens on Monday the 9th of November until 4th January 2009.

I can tell you that Option B was the most popular option following the refined options stage earlier this year (72% of us preferred B), which should please most of you no end.

As ever I’ll be sending a briefing paper to SNAG members ASAP to give you the low down on how the Proposed Option is shaping up.  Certainly none of the headline Spatial Policies have change, but I am yet to see if there is any devil in the detail; I should think not.

So what’s in the option which will lead to the flourishing of Manchester into a green and pleasant, sustainable 21st century haven of well-being and knowledge based industrial excellence?   I’ve only had a quick flick through so these are but my first impressions:

The usual slugs in the pottage include the preference of economic growth over economic development, airport growth (although there are mentions of high speed rail links) over greenbelt protection and a focus on development of the city centre as opposed to effectual sites for employment in the burbs.

I am picking up heightened levels of climate change related activity compared with the previous incarnation of this strategy but the dedicated climate change info measures just 1 small paragraph here and another one there on my climate change policyometer.  The waste management enthusiasts amongst you may find this rather disappointing.

So what’s coming up roses?  If I take number of pages as a proxy to the level of good policy, housing and design are smelling the sweetest.  Economic growth is of course the compost feeding everything in our great Mancunian City.

Watch this space.

Best Wishes, Tim.

SNP Forum – Climate Change Action Plan September 21, 2009

Dear All,

Sustainable Neighbourhoods Partnership Forum

You are invited to the next Forum: which will focus upon:

Climate Change Action in Manchester’s Neighbourhoods.

It will be held on: Wednesday 30^th September, 6-8pm
In: Committee Room 1, Manchester Town Hall.

The Forum will include a presentation from Richard Sharland, Head of Environmental Strategy, Manchester City Council.

The short presentation will be followed by facilitated workshops in which you will be encouraged to contribute constructive suggestions for priorities and actions.

The Green City Team have prepared this outline report about the CCAP.

If you would like to attend the Forum please inform Su Goldthorpe on the below details.

Please also forward this information to others as appropriate.

Best wishes, Tim.

s.goldthorpe@manchester.gov.uk

Tel 0161 234 4125

Manchester Full of Life Festival 2009: The BIG event September 17, 2009

Thursday 1st October 2009, 10.30am – 3.30pm
Manchester Town Hall

Manchester Town Hall hosts a day that’s larger than life with information, activities, taster sessions and services all under one roof. Have a caricature drawn, try Egyptian dancing or simply let your cares float away in the pampering room…there’s something for everyone!

Once again the Big Event will be the highlight of the festivities and is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate growing older in Manchester. This year we’re encouraging you to ‘get involved and stay involved’ by taking part in activities that run right throughout the year. In addition to the usual stalls, activities and entertainment there will be a community room to help you find out how you can lend your time and talents to various organisations in the city.

For further information I have attached the Full of Life Festival Brochure (Big Event listings are on page 3) and a letter providing travel information. I have also included a group registration form, although you don’t have to register to attend the Big Event, using this form can reduce waiting time at the registration desks for groups.

We would like to invite as many older people in Manchester as possible, please pass this information onto anyone that might be interested and we look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any queries or would like to order hard copies of the brochure please contact Rachel York on 0161 234 3547, rachel.york@manchester.gov.uk or visit www.manchester.gov.uk/fulloflife.