THING OF THE WEEK

ASHTONPALE… It is not even December and the festive networking season is already very much upon us. Planning consultancy Ashton Hale gathered clients and friends at Haunt in Manchester last night for an event that included yule log and pints of Ashton Pale Ale – a winning Christmas combination.

SOUTHGATE… Former England manager Gareth Southgate is considering a career outside of football. Prior to his arrival, England had not reached a semi-final for 20 years. Regardless of what you think about his managerial style, having reached two major finals in his eight-year stint, Southgate has demonstrated he knows a thing or two about turning around a sorry situation.

With a record like this, might we be able to find a role for him in property? Perhaps as head of productivity in the construction sector or in charge of bringing enjoyment back to planning consultancy. The vacant Homes England chief executive role might be a bridge too far; sure, Southgate knows the nation well but England’s stilted performances at the last Euros call into question whether he is the man to bring about free-flowing housing.

The quartet of shoplifting elves was later apprehended. Credit: Liverpool ONE

SPIRIT… Christmas seems to come earlier every year; it feels like we have been choking on the fumes of bratwurst on the streets of Manchester since July. But consumption is what Christmas is all about and that is good news for places like Liverpool ONE, which is predicting its busiest festive period since before the pandemic. Liverpool ONE is forecasting an influx of 4m visitors in the lead-up to Christmas – that is a lot of last-minute panic buying.

Credit: via Unsplash

FEATHERS… The owners of a former turkey hatchery in Cheshire have been forced to apply for retrospective planning permission to convert the buildings into business units. The 28,000 sq ft complex was operated by British United Turkeys for more than 50 years until 2023 and is now home to a variety of businesses, including a canine hydrotherapy facility.

However, the owners did not secure the necessary planning permission to change the site from a turkey factory to a doggy health spa, and were served an enforcement notice by Cheshire West and Chester Council, which was presumably spitting feathers.

Some Halebank residents are not happy. Credit: via planning documents

REVENGE OF THE NIMBYS… Disgruntled residents in Halebank, Widnes, have voiced their displeasure over a 500-home scheme planned close to where they live.

The Friends of Halebank campaign group has lodged a protest planning application to transform the Westminster home of the landowner into a sheep museum. The scheme is a nod to the flock of Ryland sheep that graze close to the Widnes site, which the group claims would be negatively impacted by the development

While the application is doomed to fail, the campaign group hopes it will send a message to Catherine Hesketh, whom the group claims failed to consult residents on the 500-home development plan.

Property professionals hunkering down for the night in Manchester earlier this year. Credit: Nathan Cornish

SLEEPOUT… Land Aid’s annual SleepOut event is coming to Liverpool for the first time in 2025. The North West chapter of the homeless charity has launched a Merseyside edition of the event that will see property professionals sleep under the stars at Firwood Waterloo Rugby Club to raise money for charity next February.

A working group has been set up to get the Liverpool SleepOut going, featuring CBRE’s Andy Byrne, Avison Young’s Ian Steele, Font Comms’ Nicky Hughes, and K2 Architects’ Kevin Horton. Sleeping bags at the ready!