Green Mayoral candidate calls for immediate action on Homelessness

Shelter Request

Green candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester Deyika Nzeribe [1] called on local councils to act on homelessness immediately.

Last week saw the deaths of two homeless men when an abandoned building was destroyed in a fire [2] as well as a group of young people placed under an eviction notice in order to remove them from the empty public-owned building they were occupying [3].

Speaking specifically about the situation in Manchester, Deyika said “This is both is both a tragic and outrageous situation the Council has created. Whilst it’s understood that government policy over the past few years has dramatically increased the levels of extreme poverty [4], local decision-making has not made things better.

Practical things that the Council can do immediately are

1.    Stop chasing organised groups of homeless people out of the city centre using its legal injunction [5]. It just means that they are more dispersed, it doesn’t make them disappear.

2.    Stop the eviction of the young homeless people supported by the Manchester Activist Network [6]. The building is empty and due to be demolished in over a year. The Council should be working with the group to improve the space, until they can move the young people in there into homes.

3.    Re-open the homeless shelters in Hulme and Harpurhey [7]. There is no reason for them not to be available again AND they are easier to get to than other provision.

4.    Create a committee to address housing and homelessness. All Councils should do this where, like Manchester, there is a crisis in these areas.

At the moment, while offering plenty of words of sorrow and condolence, Manchester’s leaders’ actions on homelessness and housing seems desperately lacking.”

Notes

1.  https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1118858218198041&id=137183923032147
2.  http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-homeless-crisis-austerity-government-12232907
3.  http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=3575
4.  http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/140773910-benefit-cuts-will-force-more-manchester-families-rely-food-banks-warns-study
5.  http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/barbaric-court-order-says-homeless-6206730
6.  https://www.facebook.com/MancActivists/?fref=ts
7.  http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/111275217-we-have-do-something-hulme-library-opened-homeless-ahead-christmas

  

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Hulme pub 'The Junction' at Crossroads

After years of rumours about Hulme's 'The Junction' pub [1], news has arrived that it has been sold by owners, Hydes brewery [2].

Pub advocacy group CAMRA [3] reports that it has been sold to a local property developer, separately identified as PortfolioUK [4].

Built in the Victorian era, The Junction is an iconic Hulme landmark [5] and one of the last traditional community pubs in the area. Its said that there was once an underground tunnel between the The Junction and the nearby Hippodrome [6] so that performers staying at (there was once accommodation on the long ago removed third floor) could get direct access to the theatre. [7]

Local activists are looking into how the venue can be retained as a community asset pointing out that the new Plunkett Foundation programme [8] aims to support up to 80 local pubs with a fund of £3.6 million over 2 years.

Hulme Green, Deyika Nzeribe commented 'Its a shame that Hydes did not appear value the importance of The Junction as part of the Hulme community, I'm sure they would have given a chance to local people to put in an offer.

'Over recent years we've lost The Grants [9], The Seahawk [10] and now The Junction seems to be heading the same way.

'The Universities [11, 12] and Housing associations [13] in Hulme have spent millions on their private property projects, well here is a chance for them to support a real piece of Hulme history. If they really do support the local community, they can put their money where their mouth is'.

Ends. 

Notes

1. http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/74674/

2. http://www.hydesbrewery.com/our-history/

3. https://whatpub.com/

4. http://portfoliouk.com/

5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPiIDj8FXH8

6. http://www.mancky.co.uk/?p=6080

7. https://whatpub.com/pubs/TRA/3787/junction-hulme

8. http://pubs-of-manchester.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/grants-arms-afewe-royce-road.html

9. http://thenubiantimes.com/seahawk-lounge-closes-down/

10. http://www.mbs.ac.uk/news/school-news/university-strikes-hotel-deal-as-part-of-1billion-campus-master-plan/

11. http://www.pjlivesey-group.co.uk/mmu-didsbury-campus/

12. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/172-new-apartments-townhouses-built-10744852  

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Comment: Where are Manchester Council’s emergency homeless shelters?

There has been much criticism of Manchester City Council and its approach to homelessness over the past few months.

This has especially been the case with its suppfor evicting the homeless from various buildings and shelters from around the city centre. The most notorious example of this was supporting Manchester Metropolitan University’s double eviction of the Ark [1].

A pivotal action in altering the council’s position came when homelessness activists briefly occupied an empty office block on Charlotte Street in city centre. They aimed to make it a community hub for the homeless from which they could get shelter food and advice [2]. Although swiftly evicted, almost immediately afterwards, Manchester United football legends Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs generously offered shelter in their empty ‘Stock Exchange’ building [3].

In an about face, the Council then declared it too would make buildings available [4].

That was two weeks ago.

The site of the Ark on Oxford Road is currently empty and fenced off by MMU. There is no sign of the activity MMU evicted the Ark for.

Its been a week of cold, wet, windy weather. Under the fly-over on Oxford Road on both sides, there are homeless again.

When asked why they were there, why didn’t they go to the ‘Stock Exchange’, they said that they did but it was full.

When they were asked about the Council’s empty buildings for the homeless, they knew nothing about them. At all.

When it explained what was offered in the press the response was [to paraphrase and replace words] – ‘Goodness me, they should hurry up, this is no flowery joke being out here’.

Since then, as reported by the local press, the camp near Piccadilly train station has grown to about 30 people [5].

Its been a very bad week weather-wise. When are these buildings going to open?

What are the Council waiting for?

Christmas?

Notes

1.    http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=2967

2.    http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/squatters-bid-set-up-homeless-10278055

3.    http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/gary-neville-tells-homeless-protest-10283700

4.    http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/town-hall-follow-gary-neville-10352188

5.    http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/dozens-rough-sleepers-set-up-10433163

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Hulme Green Party calls on Homeless Film Festival to boycott Manchester Metropolitan University

Hulme Green Party are calling on the upcoming Homeless Film Festival (HFF) [1] to boycott film screenings and other events hosted by Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU).

The aggressive legal action that MMU have pursued in conjunction with Manchester City Council and the repeated evictions of The Ark homeless shelter have received much public attention in the last few weeks. [2]

The harassing actions of these large institutions against this vulnerable group were called out by homelessness campaigns, students and Manchester Green Party. [3]

Deyika Nzeribe, Hulme resident and Green Party campaigner said: "While we recognize the good work that the HFF are doing and have done, it is just wrong for them to ally themselves with MMU, who have aggressively pursued and evicted the Ark homeless camp twice in the last few months. It was a well organised shelter, which was doing a lot to raise awareness of homelessness and to provide support for vulnerable people.

"On the back of this ‘partnership’, MMU will be able to use HFF as an example of the good work it's doing for the homeless, to cover up what it's actually doing on the ground. HFF should do the right thing and boycott the MMU venues."

Notes.

1.  http://www.homelessfilmfestival.org/#!screening/cswe

2.    http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/30/manchester-homeless-people-face-jail-over-city-centre-tent-camps

3.    http://hulmegreenparty.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/support-ark.htm 

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Council Leader should learn some Mancunian generosity

The comments on the Leader’s Blog [1] by Richard Leese on begging and homelessness are reprehensible. It is classic demonization of some of Manchesters’ most vulnerable.

The piece looks to draw distinctions between beggars and the homeless while describing them in almost the same terms. For beggars "the most likely beneficiaries are the nearest off-licence, drug dealer" but the homeless "are people with chaotic, dysfunctional lifestyles often with drink, drug, and mental health problems".

The Leader talks about 80% of beggars not being homeless. What does that mean? There is a noticeable increase in begging AND the homeless on the streets over the few years. We know that the "Lack of affordable housing, welfare cuts, and cuts to support services" has led to an increase in homelessness, why wouldn't it lead to an increase in begging? Foodbanks [2] and soup kitchens can't catch everyone.

The claim that beggars are commuting from London for the notable Mancunian generosity is ridiculous. When is the evidence for this? And are beggars also commuting from Liverpool, Birmingham and other large cities?

As for the generosity of Mancunians, this does not extend to the Council. This spring it cut funding to homelessness support.  [3]

Since then, however, the Council has spent over £100,000 prosecuting the homeless in the city centre while at the same time promoting the huge amount of luxury flats planned for the city centre partly funded by £300 million of government funds. [4]

What use are the Council Leader's comments except to turn the public against the visible homeless on the streets. It casts doubt on any initiative announced by the Richard Leese will be anything more than a token  enterprise, that it won’t approach the scale of action needed to properly address the  homelessness crisis. Next thing you know, he’ll be asking people not to give to the homeless.

Manchester’s generosity is better than the comments of the Council Leader. He should do a better job of representing it. He should learn from it.

In the meantime its to be expected that the homeless themselves will do the best they can to look after themselves on the streets of Manchester.

1.    http://www.manchester.gov.uk/blog/leadersblog/post/743/homelessness-and-street-begging/comment

2. http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/140773910-benefit-cuts-will-force-more-manchester-families-rely-food-banks-warns-study

3. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/number-people-sleeping-rough-greater-8745312

4. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/300m-housing-fund-designed-unlock-9570783

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Housing Association ‘No DSS’ housing proposal despite waiting list crisis.

 Social landlord OneManchester’s [1] controversial plans to build new housing in Hulme reveal that none of the 170 properties will be available as social homes.

The scheme called ‘Hulme Living’[2], which OneManchester hopes to begin in early 2016, will be across 2 sites in Hulme, one approximately 100 property build on Leaf Street the other Chorlton Road.

Dave Power, chief executive of OneManchester justifies the proposal, saying “…Greater Manchester desperately needs to be building at least 10,000 new homes per year in order to play its part in tackling the national housing crisis” [3].

Deyika Nzeribe, Manchester Green Party and resident of Hulme said “OneManchester is supposed to be a social landlord. Where are the social homes in this plan? Dave Power is right in saying that there is a housing crisis in Manchester but that crisis is that there are 20,000 people on the council waiting list[4], the worse in the North West of England. If not organisations like OneManchester, who is going to build the social housing we desperately need?

“If all the accommodation in these plans are for rent, why not have a mix, have 40% of the tenants in there from the housing list? THAT would be a small step but it will be in the right direction.”

Manchester Green Party Chair Steffeny McGiffen commented “With 20,000 people on the housing waiting list evidence of the lack of accommodation for people in need can be seen every day on the streets of Manchester. Those charged with the welfare of the city are failing to tackle the issue and arguably, wilfully ignoring it."

Ends

Notes

1.    One Manchester - http://www.onemanchester.co.uk/

2.    Hulme Living - http://hulmeliving.co.uk/

3.    170 new homes expected to be built in Hulme - http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/170-new-homes-expected-built-9780001

4.    Households on local authorities' housing waiting lists - http://data.gov.uk/dataset/households_on_local_authorities_housing_waiting_lists_-_excluding_households_waiting_for_transfers

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Claremont Resource Centre to Close

Over the last few months it has become apparent that the Claremont Resource Centre on Rolls Crescent is to close.

The substantial expansion of Rolls Crescent Primary School next door will mean that the Claremont will be demolished to make way.

Though in the past the building was home to the much-loved Hulme Resource Centre and a Citizens Advice Bureau, its main current occupant is the African Caribbean Care Group (ACCG).

Though initially there were fears the Care Group was also closing down, this appears not to be the case.

The Care Group is however, looking for a new home and as of this moment is still uncertain as to where that would be.

We hope that the Group is aiming to and able to remain in Hulme.

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What's on the horizon for Hulme?

Hulme has changed in the past and will change again. Hulme in the 1870s was home to 75,000 people and was predominately made up of terraced housing. Then the 1960s and 1970s saw the building of big blocks of flats like the Crescents. Now the large blocks have gone and where they once stood we have Hulme Park and private houses. Recently Hulme has seen Manchester Metropolitan University building on Birley Fields.

Hulme and the surrounding area is about to change again. The Council has drawn up plans to drastically change many areas in and around Hulme. This blog entry is the first in a series which will be seeking to inform people about the changes planned for the area and to spark debate over whether these plans are what the people of Hulme want.

This article focuses on the Council’s strategy to develop the area around Great Jackson Street, which is just across from Hulme Park. The plans include proposals for a 58 storey tower and five other towers over 20 storeys high. While there are also some houses, the Council have ruled out providing any social housing or affordable housing. We believe that if the demand to build is so great for developers then surely the Council can push them to build some social housing or affordable housing. The Council claims that the site will have a mix of different types of properties but if the plans exclude affordable and social housing this mix seems to be pretty shallow.

There is also little provision for new shops or any other amenities. Without new plans these new properties will put a strain on doctors’ surgeries, dentists and schools in the area. In fact the Council has specifically mentioned that residents would be using existing services in Hulme. The people of Hulme need more jobs but this plan does not offer them. The building work would be covered by the same work schemes that the MMU Birley Fields campus was and the building work there created only a handful of jobs for local residents.

The plans have also not considered how these buildings will look to the people of Hulme. The plan makes an effort to show how the buildings will look from different positions around the city centre, but when it comes to Hulme there has been no consideration. The proposals also have little provision for public space.

Manchester does need new homes and Hulme Greens are not opposed to building in general. However, we believe that all changes to Hulme should have the clear backing of residents. The Council thinks that putting a consultation form on its website is sufficient and that this is reaching out to the public. We disagree and believe that the Council should consult more with the public before endorsing plans to radically change an area. It’s not just the public who aren’t properly consulted about new plans in the area. At a meeting on the 29th of July, Labour Hulme Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon complained that she had not been consulted about plans proposed for Cornbrook. This is despite the fact that another Labour Councillor for Hulme, Nigel Murphy is part of the Council executive which runs the Council.

The plans are just that at the moment and can be changed. At this stage it is important to make your views heard whether they be positive or negative. The Council may not be interested in hearing your views but we are, so get in touch and tell us what you think.

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Manchester Green Party praises Labour MPs willing to oppose damaging Welfare bill

The majority of Manchester’s Labour MPs have failed to oppose a bill this week that is expected to make life more difficult for the city’s most vulnerable people. The Manchester Green Party welcomes the decision by two MPs to rebel and is calling on other local MPs to do more to combat the city’s growing poverty.

Manchester has some of the highest levels of child poverty in the country. The Welfare Reform and Work Bill, which passed its second reading by 308 to 124 votes, has been heavily criticised by academics, charities and campaign groups who say that if the bill becomes law, it will have a detrimental affect to children and families in poverty, young people out of work, and ill and disabled people.

Rather than voting against the bill, the Labour leadership instructed its MPs to abstain on the vote. The bill passed with a majority of 184, precisely the number of Labour MPs who abstained.

Manchester Green Party welcomes the decision taken by Gorton MP Gerald Kaufman and Blackley and Broughton MP Graham Stringer to rebel against the Labour line and oppose the bill.

Unfortunately, Manchester’s other MPs, Lucy Powell, whose constituency has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the UK, and the newly elected Jeff Smith, were among those who followed their party leadership and abstained on the vote.

Deyika Nzeribe of the Hulme Green Party said:

“If more Labour MPs had rebelled against their party and joined other opposition members in the SNP, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party, the bill would have been defeated and Manchester’s families in poverty protected from yet more government’s cuts to tax credits, welfare benefits and public services.

“It’s astounding and depressing that the majority of Manchester’s Labour MPs refused to stand up for their most vulnerable constituents. Manchester Central has one of the worst rates of child poverty in the UK and we have an opposition MP apparently afraid to oppose this toxic Tory bill.

“The Manchester Green Party calls on Manchester’s Labour MPs to listen to their constituents, to look at the evidence that these cuts are hurting our most vulnerable citizens and to join the growing opposition in parliament, which is currently being led by the smaller parties. The poor and in need should not be paying for the mistakes of past governments or the financial sector.”

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, who voted against the bill, said:

“It's now down to MPs from all parties to look beyond the politics of today’s debate and focus instead on the devastating impact that this piece of legislation will have on people up and down the country.

"Our crumbling social security system is on the brink – now is the time to take a stand.

“George Osborne is playing politics with poverty. Failing to stand up to this regressive Welfare reform would be an utter betrayal of the principle which says that those in need deserve support.”

More than half a million people in Greater Manchester are believed to be living in poverty, with a further 1.6 million at risk. Many are working for low wages and rely on working tax credits to lift them out of fuel poverty and food poverty. The bill will make it harder still for these families to thrive and survive.

The benefit cap is to be lowered to £20,000 and the bill contains a clause that gives the government the right to lower this yet further without consulting parliament. This will plunge large families with high rent costs further into poverty.

The bill also abandons the UK’s commitment to eradicating child poverty by 2020 and goes so far as to redefine poverty so that it no longer relates to people’s ability to afford essentials such as shelter and food.

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The Green View Election 2015 Edition

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Over 3000 voters disappear from Hulme’s Electoral Roll

Government changes to the voter registration process have resulted in 39,787 people disappearing from Manchester’s electoral roll in the last 12 months.

In Hulme, comparing figures from March 2014 and March 2015, the number of voters in Hulme has dropped by 3442, a decrease of 26%.

The change to the registration system has disproportionately affected young people, students, private renters and people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

A closer look at the figures revealed that although the average fall in voter numbers is 13% in 4 of the 5 districts of Hulme, in the 5^th area which has a high student population, that fall is 73%.

Deyika Nzeribe, the Green Party Local Election candidate for Hulme said “With the deadline for registration being this Monday April 20^th, its essential people pay attention and take action or they will miss their chance to vote for a change in government, local and national.

If you don’t like politicians but want to vote, go to the independent ‘Vote for Policies’ website, make your own mind up.”

There are 10% less people on Manchester’s electoral register than this time last year, which could radically alter the outcome of the election. In the Manchester local elections in 2014, The Green Party came 2^nd with 12.7% of the vote, whilst the Lib Dems came 3rd with 11.7%.

The council wards that have seen the greatest drop in registered voters are areas with high populations of students, private renters and minority ethnic voters.

The City Centre has lost 37% of its registered voters. Ardwick has lost 33%, Withington 28%, Hulme 26%, Rusholme 23% and Fallowfield 21%.

Meanwhile, more affluent areas with a higher percentage of homeowners have remained largely unchanged. Chorlton has only lost 3% of voters, whilst Didsbury East lost 2%.

You register to vote online in under 5 minutes by visiting https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and entering your national insurance number.

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Green Party calls for Referendum on Greater Manchester Devolution

News of the devolution deal [1] between the 10 Greater Manchester Councils and the Coalition Government took most people in the region by surprise. 

Also surprising was the news that the Devolution was conditional on the region accepting an elected Mayor as part of the deal.

Though the agreement, negotiated out of view of the public, brings some services under local control [2] there are no additional resources that would not likely come to the region anyway. In fact, Manchester Council is facing an additional £60 million in cuts. [3]

Laura Bannister, Green Party general election candidate for Manchester Gorton, said, "When Scotland voted on devolution in September, it was seen as a high water mark of democracy with 84.6% of the population voting [4]. The debate and discussion leading to the referendum took place over two years. No such process has happened in Greater Manchester."

Chair of Manchester Green Party, Deyika Nzeribe agreed, "The Green Party is in favour of devolution when done correctly. It has to be discussed and accepted at a local level. The Green Party therefore calls for a consultation of the people of Greater Manchester, followed by a referendum, to decide whether we want devolution and if so, what form it should take. This is the biggest governance change in Manchester in a generation - people have a right to decide this for themselves. We will work with others to make this happen."

Since the devolution announcement, a popular campaign has formed to get a referendum for the people of Greater Manchester. The campaign, ‘DevoManc’ is encouraging people to sign its online petition [5] and have a Day of Action on Saturday 10^th January 2015 with petition signings all over the Greater Manchester [6].

Notes

1. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/devolution-to-the-greater-manchester-combined-authority-and-transition-to-a-directly-elected-mayor
2. http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/News/Elected-Mayor-For-Greater-Manchester
3. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/prime-minister-david-cameron-warns-8064096#rlabs=14
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_independence_referendum,_2014
5. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/people-must-have-right-to-vote-on-devo-manc
6. https://www.facebook.com/events/392412037594684/

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Hulme Greens Campaign Action Day Sunday November 23rd

Its just under 6 months to the Local and General Election.

Although the Greens are increasing in profile and going up in the polls, it’s the campaign on the ground, in the streets that will make the difference come the Elections.

The work to get an elected councillor continues in Hulme.

This Sunday November 23rd is the Hulme Campaign Action Day.

We will be meeting at Kim-by-the-Sea, 12pm midday and be out until 4pm latest.

We are pleased to have with us Green Party Regional Development Officer Pat Cleary.

There will be some training, doing surveys, and elections strategy.

Come down, meet other Greens, take the campaign to the streets.

The Event details are here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/896253740393370/

Join the Hulme Greens Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/116302497332/

Like the Manchester Greens Page: Manchester Green Party

Contact

hulme@manchestergreenparty.org.uk

07955064319

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Hulme Green Party Newsletter Election Special 1 (2014)

Thanks to Amir and Leona for their input.

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Conference: Making Education a Priority - Alternative Approaches

Making Education a Priority: Alternative Approaches – Saturday May 18^th 2013

Conference Flyer

Conference Booking Form

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MMU and Me: We have a problem

This is a personal opinion and does not reflect the views of Hulme Green Party or Manchester Green Party.

It seems that these are the last days of Hulme’s Birley Fields. Though full planning permission for the proposed campus is yet to be granted to Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) the organisation has fenced off the fields and begun digging up some of the plant-life.

The reality of MMU’s actions has stirred an angry reaction in the Hulme community with talk of occupying the green space in protest.

MMU is touting itself as one of the greenest universities in the country and I expect the new 7 building campus will push it up the People and Planet’s‘Green university’ list.

As part of the ‘Save Birley Fields’ campaign, we argued that the fields, which have grown naturally from derelict land over the past 30 years, are teeming with biodiversity  and as the most intense area of green space in Hulme, was of great benefit to the community.

MMU have argued that it was just a ‘brownfield site’. For myself I only see trees, bushes and wild flowers.

There are arguments backwards and forwards on the benefits the new campus will bring to the neighbourhood but MMU is already primarily based in Hulme which as a consequence already has oneof the highest student densities (p17) in the city. Along the quarter of a mile from Oxford Road to the landmark Hulme Bridge, the buildings are almost exclusively MMU related or student accommodation. The new campus would extend this.

My main issue is not with the main academic building as promoted nicely on the MMU website. It’s that of the 7 buildings in the proposal, 5 of them are 10 storey student accommodation blocks that will take up the majority of the green space.

The protests against the original planning permission got surprising little coverage in the local press despite

• It being a major local election issue for Hulme
• Local campaigners attempting to engage the MMU to negotiate on the size of the campus and to deal with the clear additional problems the new campus would bring to the area
• A reportfrom MMU’s own researchers criticizing the quality of consultation with the local community.

During this period ironically MMU was awarded a contract from the government to train ‘community champions’.

In its behaviour MMU are little different to Barclays Bank

• getting the local council to ‘donate’ Birley Fields, public land (estimated value at least £10m) to the University
• using its influence to push its vision for Manchester through the ‘Manchester Corridor’ group on whose board sits MMU Vice Chancellor John Brooks, responsible for pushing the MMU/ Birley Fields proposal, the Council’s Leader, Richard Leese and Chief Exec Howard Bernstein.
• having Eamonn O’Neill on the MMU board of governors. Mr O’Neill is the managing editor of the Manchester Evening News, the biggest circulation local paper in the city. (MMU hastily removed the page when it was point out on facebook but as you can see…)

Ultimately they say the case for the campus as proposed, is an economic argument.

For Hulme, I can’t see it. MMU seems to have enough of Hulme already and this is a lot to lose for very little gain.

So it seems likely that the new Eco-campus will be built on the Birley Fields grasslands when the majority of that space can be saved. The MMU, as its doing already, will use it as a marketing ploy to attract new students.

But an Eco-campus built on wild urban meadow and that damages a community is a lie.

So I have a marketing message of my own.

Congratulations to the students who have passed their 2012 A-Levels, it’s a difficult step to get over.

So now you are looking at University places.

MMU has some good facilities and some great people work there. BUT if within your selection criteria are a University’s environmental credentials, I can’t recommend MMU.

Go somewhere more honest and more prepared to work with the community its based in.

Deyika Nzeribe.

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