Star date: 26th February 2015

THE END OF THE `NATIONAL' HEALTH SERVICE?

"This deal smells beyond dodgy and beyond folly..." GM Referendum Campaign

Following reports of a deal to devolve £6billion of health and social care funding to Greater Manchester, in Salford there's been almost a deafening silence from the city's civic leaders.

Elsewhere, the deal, which could take the `National' out of the NHS, has been discussed in detail. Here, the Salford Star looks at the reactions.

Full details here...

Star date: 26th February 2015

SALFORD COUNCIL BEN HUR FILM BUDGET TO SCREEN CUTS

Salford Council spent £2,202.50 filming yesterday's cuts meeting, which included £202.50 for `travel and accommodation' for company Public-i to get to Salford (home of MediaCityUK) to stream the meeting.

Freedom of Information responses show that the Council has commissioned three webcasts from Public-i since December at a cost of £6,607.50, plus £3,000 from Digital Tree Media for screening two previous meetings – which all centred around cuts to services for vulnerable people in Salford.

Full details here...

Star date: 26th February 2015

THE NUMBER OF ROUGH SLEEPERS IN SALFORD OFFICIALLY DOUBLES – BUT FIGURES ARE STILL WELL OUT

Figures released today by the Department of Communities and Local Government show that the number of people sleeping rough in Salford has doubled over the last year.

The official count puts the number of Salford rough sleepers at 14 but Coffee4Craig co-founder, Fie Lancaster, says the real figure could be more than triple this.

Full details here...

Star date: 25th February 2015

AFTER THE SALFORD MAYOR TICKET FIASCO COMES THE CUTS CIRCUS

The UNISON protest placards outside today's Salford Council cuts meeting told one story... `Save Our Communities'... `Help The Homeless and Hungry'... `Stop The Cuts'...

Inside the Council chamber it was the same old story – a Political (with a capital `P') Punch and Judy Show, with no concerns being addressed, as Salford Council voted through £45million of cuts... "They were like a load of children" said one mother who witnessed the debacle.

Full details here...

Star date: 24th February 2015

SALFORD UNISON DEMANDS DELAY IN SALFORD COUNCIL CUTS CHAOS DECISION

As over fifty Salford Council staff and service users lobbied Labour Party Group councillors last night, staff trade union, Salford City UNISON, demanded that Salford Council delays Wednesday's cuts decision – as the Council doesn't seem to know how it's going to make many of the £45million cuts it will be voting on.

The Salford Star has seen a petition signed by UNISON members particularly relating to £5.1million of cuts to Children's Services and Public Health, concerned that "there is no plan as yet about how to make these savings".

Full details here...

Star date: 23rd February 2015 

A Salford Star Exclusive

SALFORD MAYOR ATTEMPTS TO STOP PROTEST AT COUNCIL CUTS MEETING BY PACKING IT OUT WITH LABOUR PARTY MEMBERS

Salford Mayor Ian Stewart is attempting to stop protests at Wednesday's controversial meeting of the full Council to pass cuts of over £30million by packing the public gallery out with Labour Party members.

In an email to members of the Labour Party, leaked to the Salford Star, Stewart states "We would like to reduce the protest by getting Labour supporters in the gallery" and urges them to contact him to "arrange a ticket". There is no facility for members of the public to get pre-booked tickets on the Council website.

Full details here...

Star date: 22nd February 2015

PIRATE PARTY UNCONFERENCE BEGINS SALFORD VOTE PLUNDER

"We always like to think we're pirates because we think different...we're pushing at the knife edge of politics" Sam Clark Salford and Eccles candidate

The Pirate Party began its voyage for Salford votes this weekend with an `unconference' at its national HQ in Islington Mill. Together with the Party's core policy against internet surveillance, top topics included education, social mobility and net access, as well as protecting the Welfare State and standing against austerity and against fracking.

Full details here...

Star date: 22nd February 2015

SWINTON LIONS LOOK TO A BRIGHT FUTURE

"We might not play in Swinton, but that doesn't mean we can't have a club which represents Swinton"

Swinton Lions Kit Launch
Thursday 26th February 7:30 pm
Swinton British Legion Free admission

Swinton Lions are entering a bright new era, determined to show that there's more than one rugby team in the City of Salford. This Thursday the Lions launch their new kit and everyone is invited to go down, chat to the players and board, and learn of the club's plans for this season and the future.

Full details here...

Star date: 22nd February 2015

AS SALFORD CHILD POVERTY HITS 50% IN SOME AREAS, WOOD STREET LAUNCHES BOOK APPEAL

The ace Wood Street Mission has launched an appeal for donations of books and money to help encourage Salford children living in poverty to engage in education to improve their life chances.

Last week, the Mission's 6ft green furry dinosaur mascot was on walkabout in Salford Quays and MediaCityUK making families aware that fifty per cent of Salford children live in poverty in some areas of the city.

Further details here...

Star date: 21st February 2015

TWO DEMOS CALLED AGAINST SALFORD COUNCIL CUTS

Lobby of Salford Labour Group Monday 23rd February 5pm 

Lobby of Council Budget Meeting Wednesday 25th February 8:30am

Two demonstrations against Salford Council cuts of £31million for next year alone have been called for this week. The first, on Monday at 5pm, is a lobby of Labour councillors urging them to think again, and the second is from 8:30am on Wednesday when the full meeting of Salford Council meets to vote on the cuts. Both protests will happen outside Salford Civic Centre.

Full details here...

Star date: 20th February 2015

PEEL HOLDINGS JOINS FRACKING MARKET WITH NEW OIL AND GAS DIVISION

Salford could become the North West centre of the fracking industry as Peel Holdings has announced the creation of a new Gas and Oil business "looking to maximise the economic and supply chain benefits to the North of England from the emerging shale gas industry".

The Peel Group is already heavily involved with IGas Energy, subject of huge anti-fracking protests at Barton Moss last year, and the company's Port Salford could become central to its plans.

Full details here...

Star date: 19th February 2015

NINE GROUPS SLAM £1.6MILLION CUTS TO HEALTH IMPROVEMENT SERVICE

"The loss of this service would have a devastating effect" Just Youth

Nine community groups have slammed proposed £1.6million cuts to Salford's Health Improvement Service in a letter to the city's councillors, MPs and Mayor. The letter includes statements from many of those directly affected by the cuts, plus testimonies from a reverend and a chaplain, explaining the effect the cuts will have on communities ranging from the elderly battling dementia to first time mums with babies.

Full details here...

Star date: 18th February 2015 

MORE SALFORD FLATS BEING SOLD BEFORE PLANNING PERMISSION GRANTED

Developer Knight Knox and associated agents are selling flats at the proposed Adelphi Wharf blocks before any planning permission or Section 106 agreements have been put in place.

The flats on Adelphi Street, on the site of the previously ill-fated Foundry Wharf development, are being touted as "high-end riverside apartments in Manchester", while the Knight Knox International website is claiming that one third of the flats in Phase One are already sold.

Full details here...

Star date: 17th February 2015
STAGGERING STATISTICS SHOW 50% OF SALFORD FAMILIES CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY A LOW COST HOUSE – AND 30% CAN'T AFFORD PRIVATE RENT

Staggering new figures from a Salford City Council affordability report show that half the city's families can't afford to buy even a low cost house, while a third can't afford to rent privately.

Meanwhile, social rents are increasing and only 77 affordable houses will be built via Section 106 agreements with developers who are currently splattering the city with huge unaffordable apartment blocks and houses. The city's planning scandal is growing.

Full details here...

Star date: 16th February 2015

ANYONE WITH A SPARE £1BILLION TO HELP OUT PEEL HOLDINGS?

Peel Holdings, already subsidised with £millions from public funds, is currently enlisting the Government to hold out the cap and play the sad violin, as it looks for £1billion of investment for its next phase of MediaCity UK. The Government's Regeneration Investment Organisation website is currently pushing the `opportunity for investors' with `local government incentives'.

Meanwhile the lack of jobs for Salford people at the BBC is continuing, according to Freedom of Information figures obtained by the Salford Star.

Full details here...

Star date: 15th February 2015

UK INDEPENDENT MEDIA GROUPS TO CHALLENGE MEDIA DISTORTION

Around thirty independent publications and organisations from around the country are to gather in Manchester on 28th February to challenge mass media distortion and campaign for public interest journalism.

The Salford Star will join groups including the Campaign for Press and Broadcast Freedom, Red Pepper and Manchester Mule in a day of workshops, discussions, film and theatre that's open to everyone.

Full details here...

Star date: 15th February 2015

A COMMUNITY EXPLORATION INTO LOCAL ECO

Between April and July this year a community art project called Tearing Stuff Apart will be taking place in East Salford exploring the local environment, the impact of the things we buy and looking at green jobs.

It's free, it's suitable for all ages and the team is looking for East Salford people to take part.

Full details here...

Star date: 15th February 2015

ONE QUARTER OF ALL EATING DISORDERS RELATE TO MEN

In the last dozen years it's reported that the prevalence of eating disorders in men has increased by 66%. And that around one quarter of all sufferers are now males. While there have been clinical studies of the phenomenon, there's been very little research on men's experiences of living with the illness.

Now a study by the University of Salford is aiming to change this and male sufferers are being asked to share their experiences.

Full details here...

Star date: 15th February 2015

THE TABLOID PRESS EATEN AND SPAT OUT BY ROGUE REPORTER

One Rogue Reporter
Tuesday 17th February 6:30pm-9:30pm £6/£3
International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester

One Rogue Reporter is a feature length comedy documentary film made by ex Daily Star hack turned comedian, Rich Peppiatt, featuring everyone from Steve Coogan to Hugh Grant and John Prescott, with a host of cringing Fleet Street editors having the tables turned.

It's being screened on Tuesday by Manchester and Salford NUJ, followed by a discussion with Rich Peppiatt. Non-NUJ members are welcome.

Full details here...

Star date: 14th February 2015

HAPPY MONDAYS FAN SEAN LENNON TELLS BEZ HOW HE GOT FRACKED

Sean Lennon last night gave his approval to Bez's Bed In anti-fracking protest which is re-creating John and Yoko's famous bed in for peace in 1969. Appearing via Skype, Sean - who declared himself a big Happy Mondays fan - tore into US frackers, calling them `liars', `evil wizards' and `psychopaths', adding that he wants to get involved in the UK anti-fracking movement.

Meanwhile, on the live YouTube show, Green Party candidate, Bob Dennett, revealed the scary nuclear implications of fracking.

Full details here...