Manchester council still proposing £50m cuts despite 'better than expected' funding from the government

straight to your inbox every day for freeThe Premier League are discussing proposals by UEFA that could see six English clubs qualify for the Champions League.Under UEFA's plans to restructure European competition, 36 clubs would play in a new-look Champions League from 2024, with a new Europa Conference League tournament set to also launch next season below the Europa League.The Telegraph report that, under the plans, qualification for the Champions League could be earned by clubs finishing

direct to your inboxManchester council will review its response to severe flooding caused by Storm Christoph after some residents had requests for sandbags rejected.Around 2,000 homes and businesses in East Didsbury, West Didsbury and Northenden were evacuated on January 20 as the River Mersey came within centimetres of bursting its banks.In the aftermath of the storm, Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the Didsbury Basin, which the Environment Agency said had served its purpose.Before the

Manchester Magistrates' Court heard part of Buckley’s role as a finance administration support worker involved approving cycle to work applications made by his colleagues - and amending their monthly wages to account for monthly payments. Buckley, 24, from Chorlton-on-Medlock, approved six fraudulent applications for himself, with vouchers totalling £6,000.

direct to your inbox A woman from Manchester says she has been waiting over six months for a holiday refund from Teletext Holidays. Tanya Rowe from Fallowfield paid £1,284.75 for a trip to Kusadasi in Turkey with her mum as a family break away.

straight to your inboxIlkay Gundogan says he knew Joao Cancelo would spot his run forward for Manchester City's opening goal of their rout at West Brom.Cancelo chipped a lovely ball forward to meet the run of Gundogan on the edge of the area, before the German curled a lovely finish into the bottom left corner.

straight to your inboxThe Premier League have accepted that the offside flag should not have been raised in the build-up to Joao Cancelo's goal in Manchester City's win at West Bromwich Albion.Cancelo scored City's second goal in the 5-0 win, collecting a cut-back from Bernardo Silva and curling a lovely effort into the top corner from the edge of the area.West Brom were furious after assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis raised her flag against Bernardo when he received the ball on the

straight to your inbox every day for freeThe games are still coming thick and fast and Manchester United are back in action on Wednesday as Sheffield United visit Old Trafford.United go into the game full of confidence after beating Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday and having not lost in the Premier League in 13 matches.The players were back in training at the start of the week ahead of the Blades' visit.

direct to your inboxManchester council is urging members of the public to have their say on plans to regenerate parts of Piccadilly and create a ‘modern and welcoming’ public space.The major thoroughfare is the busiest part of the city with shops, pubs, restaurants, offices and public transport packed in and around Piccadilly Gardens.Work to rejuvenate the Gardens started last year when part of Tadao Ando’s much-maligned modernist structure - dubbed by some as ‘the Berlin Wall’ - was torn

direct to your inboxManchester residents can now have their say on the city council’s plans to make cuts of nearly £50m in the coming year.The town hall is also considering a council tax rise of almost five per cent to protect frontline services such as adult social care and homelessness support.But the council’s homelessness service would still see £2.3m cut from its budgets under the proposals due to go out to consultation until Sunday February 21.A further £1m in discretionary housing

herePhase one of the development is expected to  feature an indoor adventure sports centre, the flying theatre, arcades, laser tag, bumper cars, a virtual reality experience, an exhibition exploring theories that aliens influenced ancient civilisations and an alien-themed diner, as well as a hotel and an events square.Residential property, food and drinks outlets, another hotel and car parking is expected to follow.Blackpool Council said of the compulsory purchase plan: "To date, it has not been

direct to your inboxThe Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is to open emergency Covid beds for adults in a sign of the unprecedented pressure facing Greater Manchester’s hospitals.Sir Richard Leese, the region’s health chief, said the situation in the system was now ‘critical’ as NHS bosses have scrambled to discharge as many people as possible ahead of a sustained peak over the coming three weeks.Crisis meetings have been held to determine the ability to scale up beds, as Salford Royal and

direct to your inboxThe NHS has sadly confirmed the deaths of 29 more patients in hospitals in Greater Manchester who had tested positive for Covid-19.The region's hospital death toll now stands at 4,757.NHS bosses said on Friday a further 993 people who tested positive for the virus have died in hospitals across England.It brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 65,104.In the north west, a further 94 hospital deaths were reported, the NHS said on Friday.A

Bolton is currently the only borough in Greater Manchester where cases of the virus are still on the rise.

direct to your inboxManchester Council has apologised for causing ‘avoidable distress’ to a mother trying to get a school place for her profoundly deaf son.The council was found at fault by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for numerous delays in signing off the child’s special education needs (SEN) assessment.This had a negative impact on the mother, referred to as Ms X, who had to go to ‘enormous lengths’ to find a school that would meet the needs of her son, Child B.The council

direct to your inboxResidents have blasted Manchester Council for backing plans for a controversial 55-storey student skyscraper - despite being warned it will face an immediate legal challenge.Hundreds of people living in the Macintosh village area off Oxford Road have been fighting the £130m proposal to build a 'landmark' student tower block with 853 rooms for several years.They have raised a long list of objections including the 'tombstone' design which would leave many facing onto a

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola has named a strong Manchester City side to face Crystal Palace, but Rodri has dropped to the bench.City can move up to third in the Premier League with a win, but Palace have taken four points from their last two league visits to the Etihad and will pose a threat this evening.Guardiola confirmed before the match that City's Covid-19 outbreak is clearing up, but Sergio Aguero is still unavailable as he is isolating after coming into contact with someone who

began legal action against the council over alleged breach of contract after their plans to turn the Salford Crescent building into flats were rejected.Stama Development told the Manchester Evening News last year that they were left 'with no alternative' than to start proceedings.The case was scheduled to be considered at a hearing at Manchester's Civil Justice Centre in March 2021.Negotiations to settle the matter out of court have so far failed.

direct to your inboxA memorial to the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing and a £130m skyscraper that would be one of the tallest in the city are due to be considered by councillors.The planning committee’s first meeting of 2021 will hear applications for the redevelopment of the landmark Debenhams building in the city centre along with hundreds of new offices.Controversial plans to demolish an office building on Deansgate and replace it with a replacement ‘more appropriate in 1970s East

direct to your inboxA flood 'alert' has been put in force in Greater Manchester today after hours of heavy rainfall overnight.The alert warns of 'possible' flooding around the area of the middle River Mersey catchment area.It includes areas near Bramhall in Stockport, Sale, Altrincham and Urmston.The Environment Agency warned: "Flooding is possible - be prepared."And Transport for Greater Manchester said: "With heavy rain in Greater Manchester this morning, expect flooding in some areas.