THING OF THE WEEK

FEATHERS… Preston City Council and Maple Grove Developments flanked Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park as he unveiled a statue of Feathers McGraw, the longstanding villain of his stop-motion franchise, this week. The statue was unveiled outside Preston’s Animate development by Park and the Mayor of Preston, in front of hundreds of half-term holidayers.

Gasps were heard across Preston’s city centre as the bronze statue was revealed. The bird holds a remote and stares suspiciously across at the Wallace & Gromit bench in front of Preston Markets. Maple Grove and the city council used the occasion to mark the opening of the £45m Animate scheme on what was a Grand Day Out for all.

The refurbishment will create more spaces suitable for collaboration at the training facility. Credit: via Manchester United

MARGINAL GAINS… Sir Jim Radcliffe’s plans to cut another 100 jobs at Manchester United as part of his cost-saving crusade were leaked last week . This week, more measures designed at saving the club money have been approved as Trafford Council signed off on a programme of value engineering at the club’s training ground. Plans to revamp United’s Carrington complex were unveiled last year with Radcliffe’s friend and fellow Manc Norman Foster appointed to draw up the designs. Having secured approval for the project in October, the design team is now seeking to make a host of changes to the new first team building, including reducing the amount of glass and number of lights. Marginal gains and all that.

Lucass’ latest running exploits saw him head to Barcelona. Credit: via Martin Lucass

NIPPY… We have featured Martin Lucass’ running exploits in THING OF THE WEEK before and we make no apologies for doing so again today. You may remember that in 2023 Lucass, commercial director at GeoSmart Information, ran 100 miles in 24 hours and last year, he clocked a sub-2:30 marathon. At last week’s Barcelona half-marathon he crossed the line less than a quarter of an hour behind Jacob Kiplimo, who chopped almost a minute off the distance world record, registering a time of 1:09 for the 13.1-mile race.

Half of the planned homes will be affordable. Credit: Google Earth

IRONY… Stockport’s chickens may well be coming home to roost. That is the view of many who read Place North West’s story on the war of words that has erupted between the ruling Lib Dems and Conservatives this week. Housing development in the Green Belt is exactly what those two parties were trying to avoid when they voted to pull out of the Greater Manchester joint spatial plan in 2020.

Five years on, locals in Bramhall are reportedly feeling overwhelmed by the amount of development going on in the affluent suburb and the Lib Dems and Conservatives are trying to decide between themselves whose fault it is. One source close to the hoo-ha described Bramhall as being “like the wild west” for developers. If things keep going the way they are, pretty soon they won’t have anywhere left to ride their horses.

The storage unit would also house the applicant’s private collection of commercial vehicles. Credit: Google Earth

GREEN LANDING… Applicant Paul Fox wants to build a storage unit and helipad for a private helicopter at The Beeches in Preston on a Green Belt plot. Suggestions of infrequent use and an inconspicuous “green colour” helipad, which helps “blend in the wider context of equestrian paddocks and grazing land” are aimed at tempting planners into approval.

Mr Fox uses his private helicopter for both personal enjoyment and commuting but that is not his only hobby. When not in use, the helipad will double up as a tennis court.

The church blamed falling membership and the age of those remaining as the reason for its closure. Credit: via planning documents

TAKE CARE… Northwich’s Moulton Methodist Church, which closed in 2020 when its congregation fell to five, has had its transformation into a respite home approved. Constructed in 1875, the church has struggled to keep up with the 21^st century, bemoaning Gen Z for being influenced via social media rather than attending church.

With its days as a church seemingly scuppered by the internet, Care Liberty Group has moved to use the building to provide short-term relief for residents and allow them to “take a break [for] three or four nights”. The adapted facility aims to provide a personalised care plan to those over 18 with learning disabilities or complex health needs, with private rooms, a community library, a kitchen, and a cinema room.