Moston's 'alcohol alley' set for new lease of life

Exclusive by Pete Bainbridge

November 17, 2009

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DEVELOPERS who helped rebuild Manchester city centre after the devastating IRA bomb have found a new project in Moston's 'alcohol alley'.

Town hall chiefs have recruited consultants AECON to draw up a masterplan to regenerate run-down Moston Lane, in north Manchester.

The 1.4-mile road has been branded the city's 'alcohol frontline' by Manchester councillor Pat Karney. There are 22 licensed premises on the north Manchester street, including six off-licences - five of which are within 400 yards of each other.

Last month council bosses refused an application for a seventh after 600 residents signed a petition objecting to plans by a newsagent to sell alcohol.

Coun Karney said the area has been in slow decline for years. A survey in January this year showed that one in five shop units on Moston Lane were vacant, compared with one in 10 last September.

AECON are now going to draw up plans to turn Moston Lane's fortunes around. Experts will look at the local economy and produce a strategy to promote investment on Moston Lane and the surrounding areas, for the next five years.

Moston councillor Paul Murphy said: "It is clear we have too many shop units - they grew up and were designed for a bygone era. The masterplan will clarify where we are going in Moston Lane over the next five years."

Coun Karney, who represents Harpurhey, added: "The lane has been in a slow decline since the opening of the new supermarkets in the area.

"Many people go to Asda at Harpurhey, Sainsburys at Blackley, Tesco at Cheetham and Morrisons off Oldham Road. Many local people have voted with their wheels and find it more convenient to do all their shopping at one supermarket."

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Buzz, Moston (17/11/2009 at 10:52)

Apart from the expensive Co-op, ther is nowhere to buy groceries. (Come back Gilroys!!!)
There used to be three bakers shops, now just one..Even Greggs deserted us.
The butcher did a runner with his customers christmas club savings, the flower shop has gone.
The MIP market .... gone.

However, if I wish to send money abroad via Western Union, almost every other shop offers this service.
Mr Karney and Mr Murphy.... You are too late.
You should have listened to us years ago.
We saw it coming..... Why didn't you?

city chick (17/11/2009 at 11:24)

i agree with Buzz.

Buzz, Moston (17/11/2009 at 11:39)

Oh yes....
Forgot to mention in my previous post.
Asda has been there for about 30 years, so that can hardly be responsible for Moston Lane's demise over the last five years .

moston rats (17/11/2009 at 11:45)

Fair play Buzz couldnt have put it better myself.

MancLadUK, Manchester (17/11/2009 at 12:35)

Hopefully such improvements will be vandal proof and include additional CCTV? There appears to be a lot of damage in the area and it's fine cleaning the place up, but what about those who will then run it back down after?

Redberry, Manchester (17/11/2009 at 14:04)

22 Shops serving alcohol in a 1.4 stretch of road. Who granted all these licences? The council of course, the same council who are now investing our money to redevelop the area. Very suspicious how so many were granted and what the criteria was in accepting the applications.
Will this mean the number of licensed premises will be reduced? Not a chance it will just make it a nicer place for the yobs and alcoholics to ruin with underage drinkers still getting served by owners who don't give a toss who they sell to as long as the money comes in.

bootty (17/11/2009 at 14:42)

So Karney and Murphy would you like some advice about what to do with Moston Lane,if you do I will give you some,my starter for ten is bulldoze the lot.Moston Lane is now the absolute pits and believe me it pains me to say it because I was born there not that many years ago,and if you need any other reminder what most people think about the area nowadays I suggest you watch the You Tube video"Lament to Moston"It will make you weep!!!!!!!!

lebist, blackley (17/11/2009 at 15:09)

Buzz you paint a pretty bleak picture of the lane and I agree that it ain't what it used to be but if you start at the Blue Belle there's not much you can't get if you walk as far as the Mowers.Flower shop,electrician.chippy,butchers chemist,help the aged.wallpaper shop grocers and off licences,curry house,dry cleaners,car accessories and that's before you come to the lane proper.I love the place and do a fair bit of my shopping there but then I think so called bygone eras had a lot going for them and dread to think what AECON are planning to do with the place.(Totally agree with you about Gilroys by the way)

Joe Pub, Manchester (17/11/2009 at 16:07)

Moston Lane has been in decline, for the last 15 years or more, all the good shops have gone, many years ago I was at a meeting and one councillor had the idea of knocking it down then, so how has it lasted this long i don't know. Ever since they done Moston Lane up a couple of years ago, it has gone into more decline, as everybody I know is brassed of with it, one area of excellence ruined. So how can this council condemn this, they granted the licences to sell booze with most of the pubs now closed people have to buy drinks from somewhere, better than going to town and much cheaper.

Redhead (17/11/2009 at 16:23)

I agree with buzz, I used to love shopping on Moston Lane. I lived on Goodman Street for a long time, we all know what the problem is but we are not allowed to say it. I now live in Middleton and i love it there too, but when my bus goes through Moston Lane to get to work in Manchester it breaks my heart to see the state of it. Blame the councillors for doing this. Oh and give all the english their shops back and this will make a huge difference.

The Man, Sat on a chair (17/11/2009 at 16:26)

Should turn it into a council tip.
Looks like they have already started.

Buzz, Moston (17/11/2009 at 16:56)

I suggest you watch the You Tube video"Lament to Moston"It will make you weep!!!!!!!!
bootty
17/11/2009 at 14:42

------------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately. i think you will find it is no longer available on youtube, along with the Moston Martyr and his website.
I agree with you that the film was very good.

Is It Me? (17/11/2009 at 17:01)

Don't try job creation.That would really worry the residents and G Stringer.As capitalists they may start voting Tory or BNP!

mark quck (17/11/2009 at 19:06)

I tried last year to rent a shop on the lane we looked around and some of the rents were about twenty thousand a year,I couldn't afford it but these shops doing the western union business must be raking it in.Good luck to them I will have to open a business where I can offer a service in an area that might not have to many western union shops in the area.

Public School Pimms Lout (17/11/2009 at 19:14)

I like this nostalgia, salt of the earth Monstonians harping back to by-gone days. It was better then wasn't it? Never any trouble or crime in Moston years ago!

Even Buzz said: "The butcher did a runner with his customers Christmas club savings". Hahahaha! Always been a crime ridden hole and I was born on Estford Avenue many, many, many moons ago and the best thing that happened to us was moving away. That was 1974!

Also, Redhead said: "and give all the English their shops back and this will make a huge difference". What, like the good old butcher who did a runner with Xmas club money? Hahahaha, love it!

Racism and nostalgia, I haven't laughed so much in ages!

Buzz, Moston (18/11/2009 at 10:01)

Racism and nostalgia, I haven't laughed so much in ages!
Public School Pimms Lout,
17/11/2009 at 19:14
-------------------------------------------------

Wondered how long it would be before the racism card was played. (YAWN!!)
I cannot see anything rascist in ANY of the comments, but as usual words get twisted.
Shame you feel like that.
The vast majority of Mostonians are very genuine and proud people. Why shouldn't they be nostalgic?
Are you saying they should sit back and not care?

The lane has been allowed to go to the dogs and the councillors and other self-important people have not been interested until the situation has got out of control.
It would not have been allowed to happen in a more affluent area.

bootty (18/11/2009 at 18:20)

Public school pimms lout has either got the metality of a whelk or is totally divorced from reality.People who used to live in the area are naturally nostalgic for how it was in the past and are perfectly entitled to say so,but where he gets that any of these comments are in any way racist is frankly beyond me!!!

TISS (18/11/2009 at 21:19)

I agree something has to be done about moston lane but then the rest of moston should also revamped, I live in moston,have done for thirty years and it is now a dump,it needs sorting and fast the estate where I live is not too bad,but the local idiots ruin it,why cant some money be spent on camera's so these nutters can be caught,most of the people in moston are good and decent people,and deserve better,doesn't matter what colour or religion you are if you are good people,,

MancLadUK, Manchester (19/11/2009 at 10:07)

Buzz,

I would suggest that Public School Pimms Lout is referring to the post made by Redhead. It's not playing a card, but there are two phrases in that post that are often spouted by bigots and those dumb enough to vote BNP. Of course we don't know if that's the case with Redhead, but the comment about the shops and the English could perhaps be explained by Redhead if there's no prejudice racism behind it and then we can all be thinking on the same lines if we're mistaken by it.

As for Moston Lane, doing the place up is one thing but what about the burglaries, violent crime and other crime related issues in the area? You have to get the people who live there and use the area to respect it and each other if you're really going to smarten the place up and expect it to remain as such.

Occasionally agreed with, Heald Green (19/11/2009 at 12:42)

No point appealing to Karney and Murphy (no not a building firm) to ease the problem in Moston Lane. They are Labour councillors and therefore, presumably, in favour of the social engineering experiment carried out by Labour in recent years as revealed in the press the other week. They got what they wanted. Sadly, it is not what their electors wanted so .... the answer is simple. Get rid of them. That's is how democracy works.

Joe Pub, Manchester (19/11/2009 at 23:38)

Wonder what they are going to create more off-licences lets hope so.

Andanotherthing, Mcr (20/11/2009 at 09:15)

I was on moston lane yesterday and the decline is shocking. I hardly recognised the place, the last 12 months have been brutal. The council bear the responsibility for most of this.

Jean - Moston Expat, Brisbane Australia (19/03/2010 at 15:32)

WTF - "AECON are now going to draw up plans to turn Moston Lane's fortunes around. Experts will look at the local economy and produce a strategy to promote investment on Moston Lane and the surrounding areas, for the next five years."

They should be looking at the socio economic groups that reside in the area and determine a better way of dealing with the crooks and thugs who frequent the place.

As an ex Moston resident whose family grew up in Moston (25 Barcliffe Avenue) 'In bygone days" I am saddened to read about the decline in the place. What happened to the community spirit where people respected each other and you could walk up and down Moston Lane in saftey at night. Mind you that was eon's ago and it will take more than these "experts"to come up with a plan to change the place. Hopefully they will se fit to engage the people who know best what Moston needs - like those who have commented here who care about Moston and want to improve the quality of life that once existed.

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