The Mancunian Way: Question and answer

Here’s a question for you. How do we solve the demand for more family housing in Manchester city centre?

The answer, at least according to council chief exec Joanne Roney, is Salford. The town hall’s top boss made the comments while appearing on a panel at the UK Real Estate, Infrastructure, and Investment Forum in Leeds this week.

Asked about the growth of the city centre, she said: “The city centre is becoming increasingly popular with all housing types, old people want to come in and families want houses not flats. Where do we put that [demand]?”

Pausing, she then asked the room ‘is anyone in from Salford?’. When no-one replied, she added: “Good. The answer to that is Salford."

But, Ms Roney's comments appear to contrast with the views of council leader, Bev Craig, who has previously talked up the opportunity to ‘allow the community to grow’ in Ancoats as more residents start families in the area. The council has also been involved in the construction of a new school in the city centre, Crown Street Primary, in Deansgate.

Earlier this year, in providing an update on the new Ancoats Green project, Coun Craig said in a statement: “We know that more and more people are choosing to have families in the city centre and we have an opportunity through this investment to create a new green heart for Ancoats with open grassed spaces and a new play park that will allow the community to grow and knit around it.”

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Yesterday nursery worker Kate Roughley was jailed for 14 years after being found guilty of the manslaughter of baby Genevieve Meehan. The 37-year-old swaddled the tot, strapped her face down on a bean bag at Tiny Tots nursery in Stockport and left her for an hour-and-a-half.

In this special report court