Latest news with #ParklifeFestival
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Manchester Metrolink tram disruption explained as track upgrade begins
Several trams have stopped operating in Manchester city centre as £150m worth of improvement works services are not running via Piccadilly Gardens so that older sections of tram tracks can be replaced, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) comes as the city prepares to host major events in the summer including Parklife Festival and Oasis. We have compiled a list of everything you need to know regarding the disruption including alternative routes and reasons behind the works. How long are services affected for? From 3 June to end of service on Sunday 10 August, no tram services will run via Piccadilly on the Altrincham and Bury lines will not serve Piccadilly Gardens or Piccadilly. All trams from Ashton and Etihad Campus will all terminate at the MediaCityUK – Etihad Campus peak time services will also not run during these tram services will resume on 11 August. Why is the work happening? Track replacement is part of a planned £150m package to maintain, upgrade and improve the Metrolink network up to 2027, TfGM Davies, interim Metrolink network director, said some sections of the track which were being replaced between Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly Station dated back 30 years."This is a really big deal," he told the BBC."It is a significant piece of engineering work because some of that track has been down there for a long time. "There are approximately 300 tram movements across there in each direction every single day. We do need to replace it." Damien Chabas, managing director of KeolisAmey Metrolink, said without the improvement works the tram tracks would eventually "make the network unsafe". He said: "We run a tram on average every six minutes on those tracks, some are single and some are double trams so they put a lot of pressure onto the asset, the tracks, the points."They have been into the ground for a number of years and now they need to be replaced before they reach safety critical measures." What are the alternative routes? Mr Davies said 69 events would take place during the 68-day disruption but Metrolink was "trying to make sure we have enough capacity across the network to move all of those people to where they need to be." Alternative routes include: Trams on the Altrincham and Bury lines will run between Altrincham and Bury via Market StreetEccles services (via MediaCityUK) will run to Victoria via Market StreetThere will be extra double trams on the Eccles – Victoria via MediaCityUK serviceA signposted walking route will be in place between the Market Street, Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly stops: including a wheelchair accessible free bus 1 and 2 services, or replacement bus service running outside usual free bus operating times Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Manchester city centre tram disruption during Oasis and Parklife
Trams in Manchester city centre will face disruption during two major summer events, Oasis and Parklife services will run from Piccadilly Gardens to Piccadilly Station between 3 June and 10 August, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) Metrolink network is currently undergoing a £150m upgrade which includes replacing older sections of tram track between the two said it was looking at transport alternatives during the two months of disruption. The city is prepares for two major events at Heaton Park in June and festival on 14 and 15 June and the Manchester leg of the Oasis tour, on 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20 80,000 people are expected to attend Parklife festival across the weekend, where rap star 50 Cent and Charli XCX will and Noel Gallagher are reuniting for the Oasis 2025 tour which include five sold-out gigs on the grounds of the Manchester City Council-owned park. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Andy Burnham believes Sacha Lord treated 'very unfairly' after being ordered to pay back £400k Covid grant
Andy Burnham believes Sacha Lord was treated 'very unfairly' after being ordered to repay a £400,000 grant back to the Arts Council. Mr Lord, founder of the Warehouse Project and Parklife Festival, resigned as the mayor's night-time economy adviser in the wake of the Arts Council's decision last week. Its probe into an application for a Covid-19 grant found 'inaccuracies' in the application from security company Primary Event Solutions, of which Mr Lord owned 30 per cent before it entered liquidation. A spokesperson for the Arts Council said: 'Following a thorough review of the application that Primary Event Solutions submitted to the Culture Recovery Fund in 2021, our decision is to withdraw the grant that was awarded and we are seeking to recover this money.' READ MORE: Family home cordoned off after suspected 'petrol bomb attack' on estate READ MORE: 'Healthy' teen felt 'faint' on way to pregnancy scan, the outcome was tragic Now, a week on from Mr Lord's resignation, Andy Burnham has said he believes the investigation was 'not fair to just look at the application'. 'I think it's very unfair what's happened to Sacha Lord,' he said on Thursday (February 6). 'This was a grant application in that very unprecedented time. Sacha Lord said we should be doing more to help people in the creative world that lost their income overnight. He came up with the idea of putting Greater Manchester content online [with] United We Stream." He added: 'The grant was £400,000. Because there was a donate button on, Sacha Lord then raised funds for venues that had been shut down or people struggling in the night time economy. It raised £600,000. It entertained a lot of people, it got eyes on Greater Manchester culture at a time when everything was shut and it raised a significant amount of money. 'Yes there were inaccuracies in the actual application that was made and absolutely the Arts Council has a job to say there shouldn't be. 'I personally don't think it was fair for them just to look at the application in the narrow sense and not look at the wider things achieved. I would say this is one of the more successful grants the Arts Council has given.' Mr Burnham also praised the promoter for 'working for seven years helping the hospitality sector without any payment from the Combined Authority'. 'He gave a huge amount of time and money,' the mayor went on. 'He has done the honourable thing and I think he should be applauded for that but at the same time let's recognise what's he's done for Greater Manchester.' Following the Arts Council's decision, Sacha Lord said in a statement: 'While we acknowledge the change in grant status, we appreciate that Arts Council England have found that there is no finding against the company that it deliberately misled the Arts Council in this application. 'The company and its former directors have continued to work closely with Arts Council England to evidence that grant funds were used appropriately to support staff wages and company stability during the pandemic. United We Stream, for example, was a hugely successful event which raised £583,000 to support cultural organisations, businesses and individuals affected by lockdown. Supporting such businesses has always been my only mission in my various, unpaid roles. 'However, given the company's current status in liquidation, and recognising that there are a small number of unintended oversights which have impacted the application's clarity under the criteria, we accept that the grant status has been updated. 'That said, I remain concerned over inconsistencies and a lack of proportionality in the handling of this matter. Not only has this application been reviewed twice previously by the organisation's Counter Fraud team, which, after examining the financial evidence and invoicing, concluded on both occasions that it was compliant with grant guidance, but the length of time taken to bring the matter to a close raises cause for concern and these delays have taken a significant, personal toll on myself and my family. 'Furthermore, the invasion of privacy, particularly the targeted harassment of my wife during the final months of her pregnancy, has been deeply troubling and has only reinforced the importance of protecting and spending more time with my loved ones during this period of my life as a new father. 'I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a city-region - earning recognition as the 'night-time capital of the UK', ranking eighth in the World's Best Cities for Nightlife, surpassing global destinations like Budapest and Buenos Aires, and successfully introducing initiatives which will transform our nightlife for the better, such as 24-hour night buses. However, the emotional toll and experience over recent months has given me the opportunity to reflect and gradually step back from my role in Greater Manchester. With heartfelt thanks to the Mayor and his team, I have decided to continue in this direction and embrace a new chapter ahead - championing the sector on a national level with fresh focus and energy.' The Arts Council has been approached for comment.
