Star date: 5th December 2013

PEEL WINS SALFORD STAR MARY BURNS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN WRECKING SALFORD 

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the annual Salford Star Mary Burns Awards, given out to stupid statements, dodgy dealings and iffy activities over the past 12 months.

The judges had no hesitation in awarding habitual Mary Burns gong winners, Peel Holdings/Peel Group this year's prize for Excellence In Wrecking Salford. Cover yer eyes, bring out yer sick bags and give it up – give it all up including yer environment, yer identity and yer money – for Peel Holdings.

This way down the red carpet please…

THE SALFORD STAR MARY BURNS AWARDS 2013

Category:  The Excellence In Wrecking Salford Award
Winner: Peel Holdings/Peel Group

Well, ladies and gentlemen, what can we say that hasn't been said before about Peel Holdings – except that no-one knows what they're actually called these days – Peel Group? Peel Investments North? Tax Dodge Inc?

Anyway, this coveted Mary Burns Award is for services to wrecking Salford in so many different ways…

Identity

Yes, incredibly, after sucking up £millions in public money from Salford Council, Salford University, BBC etc plus £millions in public money subsidies to build MediaCityUK (see here)…back in July, Peel suddenly decided that Media City was actually in Manchester and re-branded its website MediaCityUK Manchester! (see here for the full gory story). Peel just cares s-o-o-o- much about the city it almost owns…

Environment

Where do we start? Attempting to build hundreds of houses on Greenfield sites in Worsley, Boothstown and Ellenbrook (see here)? Attempting to build 600 houses on the Greenfield site of Broadoak (rejected for the time being – see here)? Vulturing around with a future planning application to build on Green Belt land in Irlam?

…Port Salford with its zillions of lorry movements a day?... Or perhaps the cherry on Peel's cake – fracking on its land all under Barton? The current IGas exploratory drilling site is on Peel land and smack in the middle of everything that the mega-bucks company owns in the area…Somehow we can't see Peel objecting to a trillion drilling rigs on Green Belt land should fracking go ahead.

Public Money

For such a rich company, that is supposed to have so much investment from China and Saudi Arabia, Peel isn't opposed to grabbing as much public money as it can get its hands on.

When it went into a joint venture company with Salford Council to build the `Salford Community Stadium' - now renamed AJ Bell Stadium – it was Salford tax payers who stumped up the £22million loan (see here)…

Port Salford gets another £15million from cash-strapped Salford Council – an £11million loan and a £4million grant, plus another £15million from the Regional Growth Fund (see here) 

Indeed, Salford Star proved that Peel Holdings and all its related companies were pulling in an average of £1million in public money per month via Salford Council (see here).

Meanwhile, MediaCityUK Manchester has had, and is still getting £millions from tax payers and Salford council tax payers. For what?... "We do not have a full breakdown of what they do, but the company on the whole, at maximum, pays 10% corporation tax. That is at maximum. They do not pay their fair share of corporation tax" MP Margaret Hodge said at the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee hearing this year (see here).

"When you are using taxpayers' money…it ought to be with companies that pay their fair share back into the communal pot" she added "That is all; it is a very simple proposition."

So, for its incredibly negative impact on Salford's identity, its environment and the city's coffers, the Salford Star Mary Burns Award for Excellence In Wrecking Salford goes to…

P-e-e-e-e-l H-o-o-o-l-d-ings!!!

Applause

If someone from the Peel Group would like to make a thank you speech please use the comments box below…

Salford Star Mary Burns Award Winners 2013

Exit Stage Left Award - Barbara Spicer - click here

`Gimme That Crown' Award - Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart - click here

Bum of the Year Award - Hazel Blears - click here

The Something Stinks In Salford Award - Martin Vickers - click here

Rent-a-Crowd of the Year Award – Salford Mayor Ian Stewart - click here

The Ashley Jensen Award for Exposing Political Extremism- Councillor Gena Merrett - click here

Eccellense In Speling Award – Greater Manchester Police – click here

Interest Free Loans, But Not For Us, Award – Salford Council – click here