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The Mancunian Way: Airbnbs ‘scourge of the city’

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Here’s the Mancunian Way for today:

Hello,

Well this is embarrassing isn’t it? For the second time in just a few years, transport bosses are having to take action with Greater Manchester’s cycle hire scheme due to vandalism.

They’re scaling back the Bee Bike scheme as around 800 of the 1,000 bicycles which had been on the network are currently damaged or missing.

Just 160 Bee Bikes were available to hire two weeks ago. It’s hoped this will rise to 500 by the end of August. In the meantime, more than 1,000 bike stands across the city-region will temporarily close.

Transport for Greater Manchester say the reduction will increase availability of bikes in areas where demand is highest, such as the city centre. And they are introducing new locking rules and heavier fines when bikes are not returned properly, as Joseph Timan reports.[2]

So why is it so hard to run a cycle scheme here? Let’s not forget that bosses of the Mobike scheme famously pulled out of the region in 2018 after just 15 months following high levels of theft and vandalism. No doubt it was moments like this[3] that convinced the Chinese company Mobike simply wouldn’t work here.


A Mobike hanging from a traffic light outside the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester

Nevertheless, local leaders ploughed on with a new hire scheme which has been widely welcomed. Andy Burnham insists the latest problems are NOT a case of ‘use it or lose it’ but rather ‘just look after it, everybody’. “The more we all look after it the more it will all be there for everyone,” he said.

Let’s hope the vandals get the message this time. They’ve certainly been trying their level best to ruin it for the rest of us since the Bee Bike scheme began.

During the first nine months, a quarter of the bikes had gone missing[4] leading bosses to announce they were looking to ‘reduce bike numbers’ in areas with high rates of anti-social behaviour. There were 306 incidents of damaged and subsequently repaired bikes between November 2021 and August last year. And earlier this year, a spike in vandalism resulted in a backlog of Bee Bike repairs leaving the 64,350 active users struggling to find bicycles in the city.

Despite this, demand for the cycle scheme is said to be higher here than in other regions – but so too is the rate of vandalism, according to operator Beryl. They say ‘quite heavy damage’ over a short period of time has led to ‘not enough bikes available for people’. The cost of repairs is being shared by Beryl and TfGM. They say the bill for the taxpayer is ‘not significant’.

Scourge of the city

Airbnb rentals in Salford are being used for all-night parties and rowdy stag and hen gatherings, residents say.

Parties are banned by the online rental site and subletting apartments at the city’s Adelphi Wharf apartments is against the terms of the lease. But it seems it’s happening anyway. And according to Salford councillor John Warmisham, Airbnbs are becoming the ‘scourge of the city’.

The Blackfriars and Trinity ward is in close proximity to Manchester city centre and ward councillor Jane Hamilton says the area is ‘already inundated’ with Airbnb rentals making residents’ lives ‘a misery’. “We are inundated with them,” she said during a recent planning meeting, as Nick Jackson reports.[5]


The Adelphi Wharf apartments

Speaking after the council meeting, Coun Warmisham told Nick: “The problem is that some people buy these properties as an investment and during times like when Parklife is on, there can 24/7 partying. Salford is very close to the vibrant nightlife of Manchester, which is great, but can also have a downside to people living in the area.”

When Nick visited the apartments, off Chapel Street, he found a group of six arriving with suitcases to stay at an Airbnb property. Resident Toby Lynch told him it’s against the terms of leases for the properties to be rented out, but people are still doing it.

“There is anti-social behaviour with people thinking it’s a party house,” he said. “People are partying until all hours of the morning with stag and hen dos. It’s a nightmare.”

Another resident said they had made numerous complaints to property managers but ‘the short-term renters keep coming’. While another said: “The noise from these all-night parties is horrendous.”

Airbnb says parties are banned on Airbnb and a 24/7 hotline allows neighbours to contact them with concerns. They said they had not received complaints relating to the Adelphi apartments.

The Ancoats locals leaving for the suburbs

For Holly Whitehouse the allure of Ancoats has warn off pretty quickly. She has decided to move from the trendy city centre spot to the suburbs – where there’s more green space.

“Our tenancy ends in May and we will be going to the suburbs for green space,” the 21-year-old told reporter Ethan Davies.[6]

“Ancoats, a year or two ago, felt like it was not the city centre, but very quickly it’s felt like an extension of the f***ing Northern Quarter. I pay just over £1,000 for a one bed, and another £100 for a parking space, and another £50 to keep the dog [in my building]. It’s not even a choice. There does not seem to be a way to afford it.”


New Islington Marina

She’s not alone in this thinking. Ciara Kelly headed off for Heaton Mersey a few years ago and told Ethan she would ‘never’ come into town now for green space.

“I moved out for greenery. It’s a bit more peaceful in the suburbs, in town there’s a lot of pollution and hustle and bustle,” she said. “This place is nice but in the summer there’s no space on the grass.”

Rebecca Watson meanwhile, says Manchester ranks pretty low for green spaces compared to other cities. “I think Edinburgh has lovely parkland, so do London and Glasgow. Unfortunately Manchester is lacking it. Especially in your 20s you want a chilled out space to go that’s not a bar or restaurant. I find that I go back home, to Durham or Newcastle for greenery. I have been here for seven years and it’s always been the same.”

Ethan spoke to people in Cotton Field Park after plans to connect it to a larger green space next door were ‘watered down’.

Manchester Council’s Lib Dems wanted a fifth of the former Central Retail Park site to become parkland. But the motion was changed by housing lead Gavin White to instead ‘support a wider commitment’ to listening to residents’ views on Central Retail Park.

Development at the ten-and-a-half acre plot will include some parkland, but campaigners have argued more is needed. Coun White said: “We absolutely believe in the benefits of increasing access to green space for our residents, which is why we are investing heavily in green and high-quality public realm as part of our approach to low carbon development in Manchester.”

HS2 unachievable

The HS2 programme has been given an ‘unachievable’ rating by the official infrastructure watchdog. A ‘red’ rating was assigned to the plans for the construction of the first two phases of the troubled rail line – from London to Birmingham and then on to Crewe in Cheshire – by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.

The red rating, contained in the IPA’s annual report on major projects states: “Successful delivery of the project appears to be unachievable. There are major issues with project definition, schedule, budget, quality and/or benefits delivery, which at this stage do not appear to be manageable or resolvable. The project may need re-scoping and/or its overall viability reassessed.”

The phase from Crewe to Manchester was given an ‘amber’ grading by the IPA, under which successful delivery of a project ‘appears feasible’, but ‘significant issues already exist’.

‘The words would have just stuck in my throat’

Every time Andrew Malkinson envisaged giving a false confession – saying ‘I am a rapist’ – he knew the words would just stick in his throat.

“If I had, I wouldn’t really be free anyway, I would have been a self-confessed sex offender and it would have been incredibly difficult to disprove at that point,” he says in this candid interview with crime reporter John Scheerhout.[7]


Andrew Malkinson, who served 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit, outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London

“I didn’t want to give a false confession because there would be smirks from the screws that they knew it all along. I didn’t want to give in to them and what led to this get out of jail free card by making a false confession.

“I don’t think I would have been able to do it. The words would have just stuck in my throat… I just thought, no, screw them, I’m not going to make a false confession. You can go to hell.”

Mr Malkinson spent 17 years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit – the horrific strangulation and rape of a young woman near he M61 motorway in Little Hulton, Salford, in July 2003.

The following year he was jailed for life for a minimum term of seven years, but remained in prison for a further ten because he maintained he was innocent and refused to admit to the crime. He was eventually freed in December 2020, but he remained on licence until new DNA evidence led the Court of Appeal to quash his conviction on Wednesday.

Asked about his first day as a convicted prisoner, he describes being in ‘total shock’ and collapsing into ‘utter despair’. “I knew I was going to go away for a long time once they convicted me. It was unspeakably terrible,” he said.

“The conditions were never easy in prison. It’s so harsh and you are treated as the lowest of the low for attacking a woman like that…. The screws regard you with utter disdain. Some of the prisoners are very unstable and there’s danger all around.”

Despite this, he says his attitude ‘never softened’ during his time in prison ‘under deep protest’ and he used Buddhism and pure maths to help him through. He met a ‘very kind’ Buddhist minister at HMP Frankland who introduced him to the religion.

“He introduced me to meditation which really helped to ground me when I was in a constant state of stress. I never got used to the idea I was convicted for something I’d never done. That always hung heavy on me. There was a little bit of respite going in to meet him every week and I took that back to my cell,” he said.

You can read the full interview here.[8]

A spectacular show


Manchester Day 2023

Families were treated to giant turtles and bees, a ‘beach’ and a helter skelter during Manchester Day over the weekend.

The annual event – which this year went ahead without a parade – saw Deansgate transformed into a seaside destination.

As What’s On editor Jenna Campbell writes[9]: “It was a pleasant surprise to see a car-free Deansgate transformed into a holiday destination complete with a Venetian Gondola, sand sculptures and even passport control.”

Councillor Pat Karney, who chaired the event, described it as ‘one of the most spectacular shows Manchester has ever seen’. “Amazing activities and stunning shows have thrilled Mancunions,” he said. “It’s been wall to wall people throughout the city centre. The smiles and joy on children’s faces, many of whom cannot afford to go on holiday, makes all the work worthwhile.”


Revellers make their way to this years Comic Con

Meanwhile, over in Stretford, hundreds of comic and film fans gathered[10] for Manchester Comic Con and Manchester Mega Con Live. From Spiderman to Stormtroopers, they were kitted out in a variety of colourful costumes for the event at Bowlers Exhibition Centre.

Sign up to The Mancunian Way

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Weather etc

  • Tuesday: Light rain changing to overcast in the afternoon. 17C.
  • Road closures: A57 Eccles New Road, Weaste, westbound closed due to Metrolink works from James Corbett Road to A5185 Stott Lane. Until Sept 25.
  • A667 Stoneclough Road, Kearsley, in both directions closed due to roadworks between Brook Street and Quarry Road. Until October 1.
  • Trivia question: Which cycle hire scheme pulled out of Greater Manchester after just 15 months following high levels of theft and vandalism?

Manchester headlines


Stockport Pride

  • Pride: Stockport was transformed with live music, drag queens and rainbow flags during the town’s Pride event over the weekend. Celebrating the local LGBTQ+ community in a ‘dazzling display of love and acceptance’, the event drew crowds who watched a parade, performers and other festivities throughout the day. Lead organiser Stephen Bowyer said: “This event is not only a celebration of love and acceptance but also an opportunity to stand united against prejudice. Stockport Pride brings people from all walks of life together to embrace diversity and create a more inclusive community.” More here.[12]

  • Overtime ban: Rail passengers could face more travel disruption due to a ban on overtime by train drivers as part of a campaign of action in the dispute over pay. Members of Aslef at 15 train companies across England will refuse to work overtime from today until Saturday and again from August 7 to 12. The union said its members involved in the dispute have not had a pay rise for four years. More here.[13]

  • Strike off: Planned strikes for teachers all across England have been called off[14] after the union accepted a 6.5 per cent pay rise. The National Education Union said 86 per cent of its teacher members in England voted to accept the new deal and call off industrial action. It comes after members of the union staged eight days of strike action in state schools across England since February due to a pay dispute.

  • Consultation: Members of the public are being urged to submit their views over plans to keep and improve the existing layout of the A56 Chester Road, in Trafford, as town hall bosses bid to boost cyclist and pedestrian safety. Temporary cycle lanes were installed on Chester Road and Edge Lane in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. But they have sparked anger from some road users with one ‘frustrated’ thief stealing more than 600 traffic cones used to mark the ‘pop-up’ cycle lanes on the A56. Police are investigating the theft of the cones from the two-kilometre stretch of road. More here.[15]

Worth a read

In the shadow of the hills on the outskirts of Rochdale lies a village that is quietly bucking the national trend. While high streets up and down the country struggle amid pressures caused by the cost of living crisis, Norden’s is going from ‘strength to strength’.

As Tom George writes[16], among the independent shops that line Edenfield Road, you’ll find clothes shops, wine bars, a card shop and an opticians, as well as the usual staples of village life. For somewhere home to less than 10,000 people, it’s an impressive offering.

“You can put your basket on your arm and go to the butchers, the bakers and the candlestick makers,” explained Brigit Rhodes, manager of Hope Womenswear in the village.

The shop was previously based on Drake Street, in Rochdale town centre, before relocating to Norden eight years ago. “We would have been out of business if we’d stayed,” said Ms Rhodes. “There’s no way we could have survived. “Town centres all over the country are in decline. Ladies did not want to come into Rochdale town centre. When this became available we said ‘why don’t we give it a go?’ We’ve never looked back.”

You can

Shops on Edenfield Road in Norden, Rochdale

That’s all for today

Thanks for joining me. If you have stories you would like us to look into, email [email protected][18].

If you have enjoyed this newsletter today, why not tell a friend how to sign up[19]?

The answer to today’s trivia question is: Mobike.

References

  1. ^ right here (mancunianway.co.uk)
  2. ^ as Joseph Timan reports. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  3. ^ moments like this (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  4. ^ a quarter of the bikes had gone missing (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  5. ^ as Nick Jackson reports. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  6. ^ the 21-year-old told reporter Ethan Davies. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  7. ^ he says in this candid interview with crime reporter John Scheerhout. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  8. ^ You can read the full interview here. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  9. ^ As What’s On editor Jenna Campbell writes (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  10. ^ comic and film fans gathered (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  11. ^ clicking on this link (data.reachplc.com)
  12. ^ More here. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  13. ^ More here. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  14. ^ have been called off (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  15. ^ More here. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  16. ^ As Tom George writes (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  17. ^ becoming like a ‘mini Didsbury’ here. (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  18. ^ [email protected] (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  19. ^ sign up (mancunianway.co.uk)

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