Greater Manchester’s bus operators today launched a ground-breaking £100m partnership blueprint to revolutionise the bus network and deliver on the region’s world-class ambitions.

Plans unveiled by OneBus would deliver better connectivity for local communities, ease the cost of travel and tackle the region’s growing congestion and air pollution crisis. This collaborative approach will both improve services for customers and support politicians’ aspirations for economic growth.

Greater Manchester has one of the most extensive and greenest bus networks outside London, with weekly travel from around £2 per day, contactless ticketing, and live bus journey information. Last year, bus operators also worked with the mayor to deliver half price bus travel for 16 to 18-year-olds and are in discussions to extend the benefit to offer free travel, with the costs being met by the Combined Authority.

But concern is growing over the impact of too many cars on the region’s roads. Figures from the Department for Transport show that there were more than 1.14million cars licensed in Greater Manchester at the end of 2017, some 17,600 more than in 2016 and 75,400 more than in 2012.

Congestion has negatively impacted on bus punctuality, costs and fares, while also damaging public confidence in buses. Additionally, more than a third of these vehicles are diesel cars, contributing to the growing air quality crisis.

Gary Nolan, chief executive of OneBus, said: “Buses are central to the future of Greater Manchester and this positive package of proposals can make a real difference to tackling the biggest challenges facing our communities: road congestion and air quality.

“Building on the significant investment already made by operators, there is a window of opportunity for everyone to work together to deliver a revolution in the region’s bus network that puts customers first and offers excellent value for both passengers and public investment.”

The Mayor and Greater Manchester Combined Authority are currently considering the future of buses and are evaluating an alternative franchising option. This would see taxpayers become responsible for the full cost of the bus network instead of the current system where the majority of costs are covered by bus operators.

The only place in the UK where a franchising system operates is in London where bus use has fallen 6% in the past three years, Transport for London is facing a £700m deficit and many bus services are having to be cut.

In Greater Manchester, the last time bus services were operated by local transport authorities, between the mid-1970s and mid-1980s, the bus network was decimated. Bus numbers were slashed by more than 20%, with 650 buses cut from the network. Passenger numbers plummeted by 35%, and between 1975 and 1980 alone, the cost of bus fares increased by 379%.

Mr Nolan said: “Franchising is being presented as a zero cost guaranteed route to better buses services, but this is a myth. The major investments we are proposing can be delivered far quicker through a partnership approach and without the risk and extra cost under any alternative model.

“Only by bus operators, the Mayor and the region’s local authorities working together, can we give Greater Manchester, its economy and its communities the dynamic bus network to shape our world-class city region.”

Independent building consultancy Paragon is celebrating three years of operating in Manchester, providing project management, cost management, project monitoring and surveying services on a number of major developments in the city.

Located at the Freetrade Exchange, Paragon’s Manchester office has gone from strength to strength, with its headcount rising significantly from two to twenty in the last 36 months. This expansion has been in direct response to the high volume of work Paragon is undertaking on some of the city’s latest commercial and residential developments transforming Manchester’s skyline.

The company, which has recently been instructed on the Old Granada Studios and ABC buildings as part of the £1.35bn Enterprise City masterplan for St John’s, has also worked on other important projects around the city, including the 44-storey West Tower, Deansgate Square, 100 and 101 Embankment, and New Bailey, Salford.

Paragon director and head of the Manchester office, James Onions, said: “We’re extremely pleased to celebrate three years in this incredible city.

“Manchester is the capital of the north and a key centre of the Northern Powerhouse with an excellent local talent pool. There are several exciting development projects taking place in the city which are further enhancing the city’s reputation, not just nationally but on a global scale.

“We’ve had an extremely successful three years in the city, and despite current macroeconomic headwinds, the continued occupational and investor demand for both commercial and residential property in Manchester means we remain both optimistic and excited for 2019 and beyond.”

AJ Bell plc, one of the UK’s largest investment platforms, has issued a trading update for the last three months of 2018. This follows the successful completion of AJBell’s listing onto the London Stock Exchange in December 2018.

Andy Bell, chief executive officer at AJ Bell, commented: “Trading in the first quarter of our financial year continued in line with the growth story we outlined ahead of our IPO and remains on track.  We continued to attract new customers and inflows to the platform in the face of volatile investment markets, which demonstrates the strength and resilience of our business model as we approach our busiest period of the year.  Our low-cost and easy-to-use investment platform continues to appeal to both retail customers and financial advisers, and providing high quality service to them remains our top priority.

“Platforms have been one of the main beneficiaries of defined benefit pension transfers. These have declined steadily since their peak seen in financial year 2017 and we expect this decline to continue.  Despite this and short-term market volatility, the outlook for the platform market remains strong.  The FCA is due to deliver the final report of its Investment Platforms Market Study and based on its interim report this is expected to focus on value for money and easier transfers between platforms.  Our competitive pricing model and service proposition means we are well positioned to benefit from anticipated developments in these areas.”

This week Manchester based volunteer organisations have the chance to make this year one their volunteers will remember as local training provider Pitman Training, based in Manchester join forces with a Member of the House of Lords, Baroness Jill Pitkeathley OBE to uncover and reward volunteers.

Looking for individual volunteers, as well as corporate organisations that enable employees to take time out of their workday to volunteer within the local community, Pitman Training has launched an award to showcase and provide recognition for those who actively invest their time in others and dedicate themselves to making a difference in their local communities.

The Super Achievers awards, from Pitman Training, annually celebrates the achievements of entrepreneurs, inspirational achievers, working parents and PA’s – but this year sees the introduction of the new category ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award and the Pitman Training Centre in Richmond House is urging you to nominate your local heroes – those people in your community who go above and beyond for others.

Baroness Jill Pitkeathley OBE is a member of the House of Lords – she was the chief executive of Carers National Association (now renamed Carers UK) for which she was awarded an OBE in the 1993 Birthday Honours. Lady Pitkeathley was a founding member of acevo, the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations and she is currently the president of NCVO which champions the voluntary sector and volunteering because they’re essential for a better society.  Baroness Jill Pitkeathley OBE said: “I am delighted to have been asked to join the judging panel for the 2019 Pitman Training SuperAchievers awards and even more delighted to see the introduction of and support for the new volunteer award category. Each day, millions of people make a difference through voluntary organisations and volunteering and this is a great opportunity for them to be celebrated and recognised. I believe that as a society, we can all make a difference to the causes in which we believe.”

Dan Goodall said;  “We’re so excited about this new addition to SuperAchievers, as part of this award we want to shine a light on the volunteers who are giving something back to the community and making a difference to the people around them, whether they do this in their own time, or have been given the opportunity through their workplace. We are urging you to nominate your local Leeds heroes – those people in our community who are actively improving the lives of others, in the communities within which they work.”

As well as recognising individuals who are supporting local groups or grassroots sports, Pitman Training is also encouraging businesses and organisations who support volunteering to shout up too to gain recognition. Someone very active in this area of CSR work in the corporate world is Richard Flint who is also a judge. Richard works closely with Business in the Community (BITC) and is also a trustee of the charity Marie Curie. Richard said: “I am delighted to be a judge for Pitman SuperAchievers 2019, the introduction of the new volunteer award is a great opportunity to showcase organisations who commit to providing time and opportunities for their teams to engage in volunteering, within work hours. As CEO at Kelda Group I have seen the impact of integrating volunteering into our business culture and offer a range of opportunities to support education, our local environment and our capacity building work with WaterAid Ethiopia. It’s great to reward other individuals and organisations who are giving their time for some great causes.”

Claire Lister, Managing Director at Pitman Training Group said: “I see volunteering as vitally important in our society and have been involved with several local initiatives over the year – it provides opportunity for us to give something back, to develop new skills and experience new environments as well as providing a real sense of achievement and pride but the impact really comes in improving the lives of those you are helping -the power of which cannot be underestimated.”

St. Modwen has secured planning permission from Bury Council for the development of Chamberhall Business Park in Bury.

Bury Council’s planning committee voted in favour of the plans which outline St. Modwen’s overall strategy for the site and details the delivery of the 130,000 sq ft first phase of the business park.

The green light for the plans will see the expert developer and regeneration specialist move towards a start on site date in the coming months for the 17-acre site off the A65 Peel Way. The first phase will see the development of modern industrial units ranging from 2,500 to 24,000 sq ft.

The scheme will provide for the creation of up to 400 jobs for local people and is seen as critical to the health of Bury’s economy. The Market has shown over recent years the high level of demand for modern, state of the art, business space and this development will help address the shortage currently seen in Bury and help attract more companies to the borough.

Andrew Day, Asset Manager at St. Modwen, said: “Planning approval is the next stage in the delivery of Chamberhall Business Park, following St. Modwen’s selection as development partner by the Council and the signing of the development agreement last year.

“The scheme we are developing will bring high quality industrial units to Bury, which we know are in great demand, and will enable expanding local businesses to move premises or provide accommodation for business looking to relocate to the town.

“We are really encouraged by the interest we have already received from potential occupiers and hope to announce a significant pre-let in the near future.”

The site, which is north of the town centre and is close to the M66 motorway and Metrolink, has been allocated by the Council for employment for a number of years.

Chamberhall Business Park will see units positioned in three terraces off an attractive central boulevard, along with two larger detatched self-contained units and a serviced development plot capable of accommodating bespoke and design and build enquiries.

Councillor Rishi Shori, leader of Bury Council, said:  “Creating jobs and attracting investment into our borough is a key priority for the council. We are determined to ensure that businesses can flourish and ensure that Bury continues to prosper. Chamberhall is a superb town centre location, on a brownfield site, and will play a vital role in contributing to the achievement of that goal.

“We are delighted to be working with St. Modwen to attract a range of companies to Chamberhall, and ensure that our existing businesses also have top-quality accommodation to move into as they grow.”

Leading law firm Forbes Solicitors has expanded its Employment team into Manchester city centre.

The move coincides with Partner Emma Swan being appointed as Head of Commercial Employment and Partner Ruth Rule-Mullen being appointed as Head of Public Sector Employment, to oversee the Team’s continued growth within the commercial and public sectors.

Associate Solicitor Sal Chowdhury and Solicitor James Barron are now working full-time out of the firm’s offices at Church House, Deansgate, which was previously only a base for part of Forbes’ Insurance Team.

The team in Lancashire is continuing to grow too, with Solicitor Katy Parkinson joining earlier this month.

Forbes, in conjunction with recruitment specialists Hays, will be holding two Employment events in Manchester, one focused at commercial clients and one focused on education clients.

The education employment event will be held at Hays’ Manchester Office on the 31 January and is on handling investigations in a school setting – how to ensure your investigation process is fit for an Employment Tribunal.

The commercial employment event will be held at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday March 14. The event is an interactive mock employment tribunal, aimed at business owners, directors, HR practitioners and managers.

Further information on the events can be found here https://www.forbessolicitors.co.uk/events/.

Jonathan Holden, Partner and National Head of Employment said: “Moving Sal and James into Manchester city centre is part of the Team’s strategy to grow our client base in the Manchester area along with an increase in demand for the services we provide.”