PARTY IN THE PARK IS BACK!

Party In The Park
Saturday 6th August 2011
Douglas Green Park, Whit Lane
11am-7pm Free

The Amber Project's Party In The Park is back this year with a top line up of bands, rides, graffiti artists and kids' games. There's also loads of stalls, including the Salford Star stall where we'll have some freshly printed t-shirts on sale.

A Salford Star Exclusive

NOW IT'S OFFICIAL – BY 2030 SALFORD WILL BE JOINED TO MANCHESTER!

Salford Star has maintained from day one that the big plan was to integrate Salford into Manchester. Now it's official that by 2030 selected parts of Central Salford will be included in an expansion of Manchester city centre which will - surprise, surprise – stretch right up to MediaCityUK.

MONDAY MARCH TO STOP SALFORD COUNCIL KICKING HOMELESS ONTO STREETS 

March from Lancaster House to Salford Civic Centre
Monday August 1st 10:30am
Demonstration at noon Salford Civic Centre

Homeless people and their supporters are to march on Salford City Council next Monday when councillors will make a decision on whether to cut funding for Lancaster House, which supports vulnerable people in the city.

2,500 people have already signed a petition against the cuts to the homeless people's support house and there will be a demo at noon outside Salford Civic Centre which everyone is urged to attend.

TOP STREETS DEMOLITIONS CONTINUE WITH NO FUTURE

Houses in the Top Streets of Higher Broughton are currently being demolished with no clear plans for the future of the site. While Salford Council has consistently maintained that the "project" will "go ahead as planned", the Council's own Development Plan shows absolutely nothing for the Top Streets during the next twenty years.

This fits the picture in Charlestown and Langworthy where residents have been kicked out of their houses for no reason at all.

SEEDLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL TRASHED AS PUPIL NUMBERS RISE - AND PLACES AT A PREMIUM

Seedley Primary School, the huge red brick building on Liverpool Street which was one of the first of its type built in the country has been bulldozed, hot on the heels of the equally significant Langworthy Road Primary School, which was trashed around six months ago.

Not only is Salford's architectural heritage being erased but there's a distinct lack of primary school places in the city.

Star date: 24th July 2011

People's History Museum
Left Bank, Manchester
Until 14th September 2011 free

Signs from demolished Salford streets, old maps, family snaps and the voices of those who have been expelled from the neighbourhoods that gave the city its spirit are all here in an exhibition that must not be missed.

The A-Z of Lost Salford Streets is the living, breathing soul of Salford.

ORDSALL FESTIVAL CONTINUES TO THRILL

Despite having its budget slashed by two thirds, this year's Ordsall Festival once again hit the heights with music, dance, dogs and `Boy Bots'.

NEW COUNCIL MAP SHOWS CHILD POVERTY HITTING ALMOST 75% IN EAST SALFORD - AS FUNDS ARE AXED BY 50%

A new map of child poverty in Salford shows five areas of the city with rates over 60%, with the Broadwalk North/Strawberry Road estate in East Salford showing a child poverty rate of almost 75%.

The shocking figures are revealed in a Salford Council report which also shows how funds available to help these young people have been slashed by 50%...

SALFORD TAX PAYERS TO PICK UP THE BILL FOR PEEL HOLDINGS BURGESS FARM HOUSING APPEAL…As Council document reveals a further 200 houses on the green field site…

Peel Holdings is to appeal against the recent refusal by Salford Council's planning panel to grant permission to build 350 houses on the green field Burgess Farm site in Walkden. The £multi-billion company is demanding that Salford tax payers pick up the bill.

Meanwhile, Salford Council documents show plans for a further 200 houses on the Burgess Farm site.

RESIDENTS DENIED COUNCIL TRANSPARENCY

From December 2010, in the interests of the "government's and the city council's commitment to be open and transparent about its financial affairs", Salford Council was supposed to list all its expenditure over £500 and all contracts it entered into.

However, since then only three months worth of data has ever been published on the Salford Council website – and nothing at all since February this year!

A commitment to be "open and transparent"?

ORDSALL COMMUNITY FESTIVAL AND DOG SHOW
Saturday 23rd July 10am-4pm
Ordsall Park free

Ordsall's ace community festival happens next Saturday, kicking off in the morning with the annual dog show, including categories for `prettiest pooch' and `my best friend' for kids' dogs.

The full day of fun also includes Ordsall's Got Talent, Belly Dancers, Terry's Tigers, the Costa del Salford DJs and face painting, street theatre, bouncy castle, stalls and loads more.

STACEY BROOKES FUNDRAISER AT THE WILLOWS
Friday 22nd July £5
The Willows Variety Centre
Weaste

Next Friday sees a fundraiser at The Willows for the family of top mum of three, Stacey Brookes, who unfortunately passed away recently aged just 33 from a very rare form of cancer.

The family evening will feature a disco, street dancers, tombola, raffles and loads of fun in Stacey's memory. All for a fiver.

UPDATED 25th JULY 2011

MID-LIFE CRISIS MCC
Charity Bike and Car Wash Raises Almost £600 for Macmillan!

The Mid-life Crisis Motor Cycle Club's bike and car wash held on July 16th raised £588 for Macmillan Cancer Care.

The fun event included stalls and evening entertainment at the Ship Hotel in Irlam

PEEL RULES THE WAVES?

Peel Ports Master Plan Consultation
Digital World Centre, Salford Quays
Thursday July 14th 3:30pm -7.30pm

Peel Holdings Master Plan for land, water and (north west) world domination are revealed today and the company, notorious for its non-communication with communities (we've got four unanswered questions with them as we write) is actually having a public consultation.

It's at the posh Digital World Centre, opposite The Lowry, but if you can't make it (or can't get there by bus, or can't afford the car park) submissions can be taken in writing until September. Nigel Pivaro reports…

A Salford Star Exclusive

SALFORD UNIVERSITY LOSES LION AND RELOCATES TO MANCHESTER

The University of Salford is to unveil a new brand logo in September which, we understand, loses the famous lion and has the word `MANCHESTER' in bright stand out red underneath its name.

Only fifty `brand champions' at the University have seen the new controversial logo which is set to replace the huge lion crest on the side of the Maxwell Building on The Crescent.

COUNCIL PREPARES TO CUT SHELTER FOR HOMELESS AS IT SPENDS £370,000 ON `WELCOMING BBC' TO SALFORD 

On Thursday, Salford Council will make a decision on whether to slash funding for Lancaster House, which provides temporary accommodation for homeless single men. This will save £238,000.

This week has seen three events at Salford Quays for the Manchester International Festival and to "celebrate the BBC's arrival in Salford and the opportunities they and MediaCityUK will bring to the city". This cost £370,000.

Has Salford City Council got its priorities right?

A Salford Star Exclusive

SALFORD COUNCIL'S `SECRET' £2 MILLION A YEAR FOR MEDIACITYUK

Salford City Council has a £10million fund put away purely for spending at MediaCityUK on unspecified projects over the next five years.

There is hardly any mention in Salford Council documents of the so-called Media Enterprise Zone Fund but under the Freedom of Information Act the Salford Star has discovered that the Fund has a budget of £2million a year for five years, beginning this year.

This is on top of other Salford Council funding for MediaCityUK, including millions of pounds already spent on the BBC orchestra and events welcoming the BBC to MediaCityUK.

SALFORD CITY LOOKING GOOD FOR NEW SEASON

Prestwich Heys 1 Salford City 2

Salford City kicked off a series of pre-season friendlies with a comfortable win over near neighbours Prestwich Heys yesterday.

With loads of new faces and trialists adding to the existing talented squad the Ammies are already looking good for the new season.

TOM SHORT'S SALFORD ODDITY
Part five: Global Warning

Tom Short's satirical view of Salford and beyond continues from Langworthy Road to the world banking crisis…

SALFORD COUNCIL SPENDS OVER £500,000 ON MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL AND BBC MEDIACITYUK EVENTS

"I believe the artist has an obligation to society..." Marina Abramovic

While financial cutbacks are being implemented all over the city Salford Council is spending £520,000 on three events for the Manchester International Festival and to "celebrate the BBC's arrival in Salford and the opportunities they and MediaCityUK will bring to the city".

Salford residents do get some free tickets which work out at £500 and £370 per ticket.

UNISON SLAMS HUGE FUEL PRICE HIKES

The British Gas announcement today that the price of gas will rise by 18% and electricity by 16% has been slammed by public sector trade union UNISON which represents many of Salford's lower paid workers.

UNISON is calling for an "urgent review" of the energy market and for investment in renewable energy.

JAILHOUSE SHOCK

The Myth Of Escape
Breathe Out and Happystorm Theatre
Studio Salford, King's Arms
Until Sunday 10th July

Following on from Happystorm Theatre's The Crypt Project down in the bowels of St Philips Church, Happystorm has teamed up with Breathe Out Theatre for a prison drama with a difference.

Set in a cell, this latest production is `A dark comedy exploring isolation, oppression and the fight to hold on to everything you believe in'...

CHAOS AND DISGRACE AT SALFORD COUNCIL PLANNING MEETING – BUT PEEL HOLDINGS REFUSED GREEN FIELD SITE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN WALKDEN

"This isn't democracy – this is a disgrace" Walkden resident.

There were mad, chaotic unbelievable scenes at Salford Council's planning panel meeting yesterday, as the Council's head of planning, Councillor Derek Antrobus, and chief planning officers tried to overturn a decision to refuse Peel Holdings outline permission to build 350 houses on the green field Burgess Farm site in Walkden.

Residents who were objecting to the plans were appalled and shocked by the Council's behaviour before a new vote was eventually taken and Peel's plans to destroy more green land in Salford were finally kicked out. Although the battle for Burgess Farm and the crested newts is only just beginning…

A Salford Star Exclusive

SALFORD COUNCIL OFFERS MORE MONEY TO PEEL

Incredibly, Salford City Council has offered to give mega rich Peel Holdings £15million towards its unpopular Port Salford project in Barton. This comes on top of a previous £22million loan to build the new stadium for Salford Reds, joint owned by Peel and Salford Council.

If this latest shovelling of money into a Peel Holdings project goes ahead, this will make a total of £37million loaned or given by Salford Council towards schemes by one of the richest companies in the UK – and that's just in Barton!

Hurray for Sollywood? Musings on the branding of MCUK Salford.

"…the intended heartwarming ten minute film showing cherubic ten year olds being shown the ropes in aspirational jobs…made me ill"

Last week Nigel Pivaro went to the Impact of MediaCityUK event to see if he could be persuaded that the benefits of MediaCityUK would be positive for Salford and the North.

Nigel, who lived for many years across the road from the Media City site, remains unconvinced.

SALFORD LOW ENERGY HOUSES BUILT 30 YEARS AGO STILL LEAD THE WAY – SO WHY DID SALFORD COUNCIL BULLDOZE THEM IN LOWER BROUGHTON?

"All concerned in the `New Broughton' new build should be ashamed of what they have done" New Broughton resident

New research from the University of Salford shows that houses built to a special design for Salford City Council in the early 80s are still 50% more energy efficient than the UK average – and could provide a blueprint for the future of house building in this country.

Despite those living in some of these special houses in Lower Broughton screaming about their benefits to anyone who would listen, Salford Council, in its wisdom, bulldozed them three years ago to make way for what residents are calling `creaking wooden boxes'…

MONTON FESTIVAL HAS BRIDGEWATER THEME
Monton Festival
Saturday 2nd July 9am-4pm

The annual Monton Festival has a special Bridgewater Canal theme this year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the world famous waterway. People are asked to don fancy dress with a canal theme and there's a competition to find the best costume, as well as canal themed exhibitions and a celebratory play.

Meanwhile, at the Festival there's the usual top array of stalls, music, children's events and a funfair.

SALFORD COUNCIL FINALLY SEES SENSE AFTER 50 YEARS!

Salford Council finally made a decision yesterday to end peat extraction on Chat Moss. The welcome refusal to allow permission for William Sinclair Horticultural to continue to bleed the precious bogland dry has taken almost fifty years, since permission was first approved in 1963. But is this really the end or is it just the start of a further battle?