Six trees in total were felled on Birley Fields along Bonsall Street opposite the Post Office. This area was Phase 2 of the planning application and only had provisional planning application and was not supposed to commence until the completion of Phase 1. So why have these trees been felled? What is Manchester City Council going to do about it?
Leese back in December 2009, boasted that Manchester was the first UK City to have a statement of it’s policies to combat Climate Change; http://www.manchesterclimate.com/ It would appear that Nottingham was the first City, to have a policy for Climate Change called the Nottingham Declaration; http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=14385 , back in 2000. This has been taken up by all 46 Authorities in the East Midlands region
Climate East Midlands – The Regional Climate Change Partnership.
Maybe Leese got the idea for ‘Manchester – A Certain Future’; , from his home town; http://www.climate-em.org.uk/images/uploads/Mansfield_public_statement_ND10.pdf
A fair assessment of the budget and what it really means for the majority.
Faiza Shaheen – Budget 2012: Inequality set to rise | the new economics foundation.
The Co-operative Group, which makes a big play on being a co-operative and being ethical. It is neither, as it is actually run as any business model, and is concerned solely on maximising profits. Not serving it’s members or communities it has shops in. Their business model is the complete opposite to that of the Rochdale Pioneers.
More Co-operative Group jobs under threat | Manchester Evening News – menmedia.co.uk.
Castlefield Locks Waste Water Problems Investigated | Property & Business | Manchester Confidential. Most of the new developments are of sub-standard nature. The Bellway (Hellway) properties in Hulme are a prime example. But Manchester City Council is happy to Compulsory Purchase well built council homes, so that developers can build their sub-standard properties and sell them at ridiculous prices.
As Ed Milliband has stated, this is a millionaire’s budget on top of axing the 50p tax rate and other measures which ensure this country remains a tax-haven for the most corrupt. Here is a press statement about the Government’s increase in Beer Duty from CAMRA. Beer being the ‘working-classes’ preferred beverage for socialising with. Unlike Spirits and Champagne which Gordon Brown did not increase duty on. And it is spirits, most of which is imported, is the cause in the increase in young people being admitted to A&E and increasing health problems.
CAMRA- ‘Beer drinkers rocked by tax man swallowing a third of every pint’
– Consumers fight back as CAMRA urges its members to back e-petition to scrap beer tax escalator
– Sign e-petition today at www.camra.org.uk/saveyourpint
New increases to push up price of a pub pint by 5-10p
Issued: Wednesday March 21st 2012
The Campaign for Real Ale, has today lambasted the Government for its careless approach to one of Britain’s most valued institutions, the pub, as a further inflation plus 2% increase on beer will bring about yet more price rises at the bar, and further job losses in the sector.
With around £1 on every pint going to the Treasury in beer duty and VAT, CAMRA has reacted to today’s news by urging its 136,000 members and all pub goers to sign an industry backed e-petition to remove the beer duty escalator- www.camra.org.uk/saveyourpint. The e-petition has today been backed by CAMRA, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), and the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).
With the beer and pub industry supporting almost 1 million jobs and contributing £21 billion to UK GDP, CAMRA has condemned the Government for imposing punitive successive tax increases, which will impact both breweries at production level, and drinkers at the bar.
Mike Benner, CAMRA Chief Executive, said:
‘The fact Britons are forced to pay over 40% of the EU beer tax bill, but consume only 13% of the beer sold in Europe, is remarkable. British beer in a pub is so heavily hit with duty and VAT, the tax man’s whirlwind hikes translate to him guzzling a third of every pint served, a shadow cast over the beer drinker depriving people of an affordable night down their local.
‘Such high taxes on beer are totally unsustainable, and therefore CAMRA is launching a consumer fight back in a bid to make the Government see sense. We today urge all beer drinkers to visit www.camra.org.uk/saveyourpint to get behind this new industry-backed e-petition to help safeguard the future of the beer and pub industry.’
A Newsnight report on ‘Fracking’, will our politicians take notice.
BBC News – Fracking: Concerns over gas extraction regulations.
The problem is not just isolated to the USA, as an ABC programme shows: http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/special_eds/20110221/gas/default.htm
In Australia, it involves coal-seam methane extraction, which a company wanted to start on Chat Moss, Salford.
I once thought the Canadians were above reproach, unlike their US counter-parts. But with their abuse of the Cree Indian lands for the exploitation of ‘Tar-sands’ and now the revelation of other abuses by other Canadian companies, how can any Canadian look themselves in the mirror.
Guatemalan lawsuits to continue against HudBay, says lawyer.
Unfortunately, UK companies are not better with the likes of Shell and BP causing widespread pollution from their operations.
Reading the article below, Michael Baxter does state the obvious about Britain’s transport infrastructure. But why do are politicians, Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats not able to see this?
But here are some observations. It is well known that transport systems across most of the developed world are more efficient than those in the UK. You only need to spend a short while on French or German or, indeed, Japanese, railways to see the difference. A couple of years ago, I drove through France – from one end to the other – and didn’t get stuck in a single traffic jam, not one.
Part of the explanation lies with geography. Britain, especially England, is crowded. That explains – at least in part – why it is so much quicker driving through France than through Britain. (But then Japan is pretty crowded too.) But there is another difference. Across much of the developed world there is just an acceptance that infrastructure needs to be subsidised. And the main reason why the transport infrastructure is so superior across much of the developed world is because more money is spent on it. Japanese and French trains do not run faster and more punctually because of some inherent quality. They spend more money, plain and simple. And, on the whole, these obviously superior infrastructures are not outsourced to a coterie of private contractors, either.
