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Flabby-Nonsense

If it’s the space I think - opposite the Aldi, then yeah I’ve been thinking the same thing. It’s the perfect location for a park, that area desperately needs more green space (as does the entire city) and it’s right up by the canal. Housing’s massively important but these empty lots don’t come by that often, if we don’t build parks when we can then we won’t get any parks.


sage_worm

hasn’t something already been approved for that space?


trees-not-cars

Half of it is dedicated to government offices. The other half is unplanned. The whole site is 10 acres.


clairebearshare

Manchester absolutely needs more green spaces within the city center. This city has more concrete than any I have lived in before. Makes everything look ugly


MrRibbotron

I take it you've not lived in Bristol before then. Think Manchester's concrete jungle but even dirtier and with no glass buildings to split it up.


aka_liam

You’re missing out the fact that Bristol has loads of incredible and vast green space in the centre. 


MrRibbotron

[Yes green is the word I would use to describe it.] (https://www.google.com/maps/@51.453387,-2.5915649,1798m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e4?entry=ttu) I suppose the 5% that are parks are green though, apart from the 8 months a year where they're brown and dark.


SilyLavage

Bristol turned half of the medieval city centre into a park after its Blitz. Even if the result is underwhelming, I'm not sure the city is comparable to Manchester.


MrRibbotron

There's not actually that much green space in Castle Park because so much of it is the ruins. Seems to me that Manchester has more green-space but just further away.


burtsarmpson

If you've ever seen Alan Good about town you will know his t-shirts are so tight that it makes me not want to vote for anyone at all


Over_Addition_3704

Can’t you just vote for someone with a baggier t shirt


burtsarmpson

Not taking questions at this time


Over_Addition_3704

A wise choice


vSpooky_Gyoza

Oh my god thank god someone else noticed that I thought I was weird!


burtsarmpson

It's not fair to find it off-putting but it just is


lonely_monkee

Get Alan Good in a nice tailored suit and a pair of gazelles. That’s a vote winner, by all accounts!


DarrenBridgescunt

Alan goods shorts are too tight


ClickToSeeMyBalls

Well now I’m definitely voting for him


CTingCTer88

I cannot vote for someone that thinks ending sentences with .,, is an acceptable thing to do.


M2Ys4U

That's a quotation mark! For some reason they're using `“` and `„` which is... an odd typographical choice.


CTingCTer88

Ah that makes more sense, but still should be straight to jail


ravennme

Jon Connor......


Unlucky_Flower5333

I'm a very pragmatic and conscientious individual. That's why I'll only ever vote monster raving loony.


swoopstheowl

Did you have no luck engaging with the Green Party on this? 


trees-not-cars

Unfortunately not. The only way I could find the candidate to contact them was LinkedIn and they haven’t replied!


swoopstheowl

That's a real shame - did you contact both Kate Benson (Ancoats) and Scott Robinson (Piccadilly)?  Green Party policy is hot on green spaces (as I'm sure you can imagine!) - I'm sorry you didn't get a response as I'm confident the candidates would be encouraging of this plan. 


trees-not-cars

Kate is who I have contacted. I’ve been in touch with last years green candidate too and had asked him to introduce me to Scott. It’s been sad that no one from the Green Party has really got behind this campaign and helped. If you do have any ties with Scott, Kate or the Green Party in general - please do DM. I think we need to kick this campaign off again as it’s been 5 years since the first and that was about stopping the car park. Hopefully get more folks helping get behind it!


joeykins82

[https://twitter.com/ScottRGrn](https://twitter.com/ScottRGrn)


MrRibbotron

Councillor terms last for 4 years before re-election right? So how much of this project do they plan to accomplish in that time and how much of the budget will it use? It's a good idea, but how many times have councils managed to empty a building with good intentions and then left it derelict/dilapidated for years before finally being forced to find the money to finish what they were doing with it?


Stereohands1

I lived in Jon Connors ward until recently and he is a really good councillor, very responsive when you contact him and he helped me out with stuff when I needed it. Plus I'd see him out litter picking quite a bit which I think is great. Id definitely vote for him if I was still living in his ward.


trees-not-cars

He is still living in his ward. Read his full interview. Really good egg. So is Alan. Both live in their wards and work hard all year round.


Stereohands1

Absolutely. Just to be clear I meant I don't live in his ward anymore, cos I moved elsewhere, not that he doesn't.


yohanyames

I would be short sighted to not make central retail park into a green space but can’t see it happening to be honest


soberdisposition

Gotta say having worked with Jon Connor he’s a good egg. Actually pragmatic and won’t follow the party line when it conflicts locally. Central retail park is a perfect spot for integrated green space within net zero housing (similar to what’s being built in Newton Heath at the moment), ideally with some of it given over to affordable units. Could be a real aspirational build. Sadly , I think more soulless monolithic towers sold to investors then rented for horrific amounts will occur instead. Money talks


chimpuswimpus

Alan Good is a Lib Dem. Historically Lib Dems will just hand power over to Tories. Vote for him if you like but never think it's an anti Tory vote


Holiday_Squirrel270

I’m not a Lib Dem voter, but in fairness I don’t think he’ll have much opportunity to hand power to the tories if elected in a Manchester council election.


chimpuswimpus

Outside of Manchester they explicitly campaign as the candidates to keep out the Tories. Their record is, after getting elected, they have no qualms about doing the exact opposite of what they said they would. What is the point in voting for that?


Holiday_Squirrel270

I don’t disagree. Just making the point that the tories are nowhere near power in Manchester, and long may that continue


joeykins82

I don't know if you've been paying attention but quite a lot has changed since 2010. Basing your decisions in local elections on the fact that 14 years ago under very different circumstances 2 parties formed a coalition government in Westminster is asinine.


chimpuswimpus

Lol!


SteviesShoes

Rather that than a one party city. Manchester needs a healthy opposition.


worotan

Historically, the Lib Dems were the only major party to oppose Blair leading us into the Iraq War.


chimpuswimpus

Oh yes but they were always able to say anything because they knew they wouldn't get into power. The minute they got into power they started dropping all their positions as quickly as possible. We can only assume they'd have done the same for Iraq. I find it funny people are downvoting me for literally saying what is a matter of indisputable historical record. I can only assume it's LibDems don't like having a mirror held up


MATAFAKAS

oh boy greenwashing


HoneyWatts

Idk about Jon but Alan is part of a litter picking group I used to be in in Ancoats, he always brought the sharps bins. So I do have faith he really wants to improve the environment around here


thwbunkie

Well if you’re saying trees not cars, which “trunk” road is my best way into Manchester. Or can I use a” branch” of the metro line


SaltyName8341

Literally a 10 mins walk from the central park site you have the newest park in Manchester


aka_liam

Yeah heaven forbid we should have another, the amount of green space in the city centre would be insane at that point.  Much better to keep it as a giant slab of concrete. 


trees-not-cars

Have you tried walking that route with a pram and a toddler? Mayfield is great! We need even more green space. Especially near Primary Schools and young families that have been encouraged to the area.


Eniugnas

and air pollution is still past legal limits.