THING OF THE WEEK

AHOY… Could boats be the next move for Andy Burnham’s ever expanding Bee Network? Images mocked up by architects WW+P bring this vision to life and Greater Manchester bosses have said they would back the idea of a fleet of yellow boats to ferry people around Manchester’s waterways.

Martin Richards, senior architect at WW+P, said: “Our proposal seeks to reintegrate the rivers and canals that once powered the city’s mills and factories into Manchester’s modern transport network. By linking the Bee Network and Cyan Lines initiatives, the ‘Bee Boat’ will deliver efficient first and last-mile connectivity for an area poised for significant growth in both residential and visitor numbers.”

The boats could provide a quicker option for those seeking to reach Salford Quays from the city centre. The current service is often more sluggish than bee-like.

Credit: via Penny Langton

UPSIDE DOWN… Anyone been watching the final series of Stranger Things? Cityheart’s marketing director Penny Langton certainly has. A self-proclaimed mega-fan, Langton has Hawkins on the brain. On a recent trip to Prescot, where Cityheart is working up plans to regenerate the town centre, Langton was enchanted by Prescot Shopping Centre’s uncanny resemblance to Starcourt Mall, the liminal retail complex that features heavily in Season 3 of the Netflix blockbuster. A quick trip into the Upside Down that is the world of AI, and Langton had transformed the shopping centre into an eerie paramour of Starcourt, complete with floating Mind Flayer. Creepy!

Stockport vibes. Credit: via Font Comms

WEIR MILL… Capital&Centric’s regeneration of Weir Mill in Stockport is nearing completion and the developer is now turning its attention to curating the scheme’s 65,000 sq ft of outdoor social spaces. Fresh CGIs released this week provide a glimpse as to the vibe C&C is seeking to create, which is underpinned by “tonnes of independent food and drink options”, the developer said. The plans will open up a stretch of the riverside to the public for the first time possible ever. Looks great. But we are still holding out for the dream of paddleboarding on the Mersey that was teased early on in the design process.

Barry Owen received an OBE in 2009. Credit: via Mason Owen

LEGACY… Last week we told you about a campaign to raise money to create a new garden at the planned Maggie’s cancer centre in Liverpool that was being carried out in memory of Liverpool property legend Barry Owen. At time of writing the fundraiser was up to around £5,000. Since then, it has jumped significantly thanks to a huge £150,000 donation from the individuals and organisations behind the initiative, who include some of Owen’s former clients like Iceland and Boodles, as well as Mason Owen. It is going to be one hell of a garden!

Credit: Daniel Mccullough on Unsplash

A R BEEF… RIBA president Chris Williamson has sent eyebrows shooting upwards with his decision not to renew his Architects Registration Board registration for 2026. This means he will not be listed on the official UK list of registered architects. It is a real statement from Williamson, who, as chair of RIBA, is effectively the king of architecture in the UK. In a statement, RIBA said the decision “aims to draw attention to the ineffectiveness of the current regulatory system for UK architects”. RIBA argues that the ARB, which protects the title of ‘architect’, does little else to ensure high standards across the sector.