![\"Withington](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_JS403282268.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIt includes a plan for ‘reducing takeaways and vape shops.\u2019<\/p>\n
Withington is one area where changes have been welcomed by local residents<\/p>\n
Visit some of Manchester\u2019s high streets and you might hear similar complaints. Shop units sitting empty for an age, independent businesses struggling to survive, an uncertain future.<\/p>\n
But new plans could soon change that. A raft of measures have been announced to \u2018improve every neighbourhood and high street across the city.\u2019<\/p>\n
The pledges were part of Manchester Labour<\/a>\u2019s local election manifesto.<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> for the latest on Greater Manchester’s politics in our newsletter<\/strong><\/p>\n It includes a \u00a3100m fund to be decided by residents, with \u00a320m each for Benchill, Clayton<\/a> Vale and Newton<\/a> Heath, Harpuhey, Monsall and Moston<\/a>, and Moss Side<\/a>.<\/p>\n That\u2019s alongside a \u00a33m neighbourhood fund to further boost high streets around the city and creating a city-wide high streets team, with a promise of \u2018standing up to blight and reducing takeaways and vape shops.\u2019<\/p>\n A new wave of plans has also been promised for Cheetham, Longsight<\/a>, Levenshulme<\/a> and Harpurhey<\/a> in the \u2018coming months\u2019.<\/p>\n In some parts of Manchester, like Newton Heath<\/a>, people have been calling for change.<\/p>\n Many told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) last year that they wanted to see the area \u2018doing up\u2019<\/a> to make it a better place to live and work.<\/p>\n The LDRS spoke to residents in the area in March 2025 after a consultation was launched into how local people want to see the area improved.<\/p>\n As 69-year-old Vinny Bond, who has lived in Newton Heath for 40 years, put it at the time: \u201cThey need to attract people into the place. You look at the main street and there\u2019s shuttered up shop frontages when they should be open. It’s long overdue.\u201d<\/p>\n Another Newton Heath local, 25-year-old John, added: \u201cIt has the potential to be a really great place to live. There\u2019s a great community here. The people are so friendly. The canal gives it a lot of charm.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot they could do with that waterfront. But in general the place needs a bit of TLC.”<\/p>\n Political bosses at Manchester council hope plans to improve the city’s high streets and neighbourhoods<\/a> will be a major benefit to local communities.<\/p>\n Councillor Bev Craig, leader of Manchester council and Manchester Labour, said the plans are aimed at \u2018cleaner, greener, nice high streets, good services, and [to] build a city where everyone feels the benefits of the city’s success.\u2019<\/p>\n Councillor Bev Craig said Manchester is ‘building back’ with a new plan for high streets and neighbourhoods(Image: Kenny Brown \/ MEN)<\/p>\n She told the LDRS: \u201cFrom 2010-2024, we saw some of the worst cuts to our city, and now we are building back based on the things Manchester people told us were their priorities.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery neighbourhood in our city deserves to be the best quality and feel investment. Work is already underway on Wythenshawe<\/a>, Withington<\/a>, Moston, Gorton<\/a> and we’re committing to roll out our city wide high streets work.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re fighting the housing crisis by building over 10,000 council, social, genuinely affordable homes, reducing homelessness and setting up a brand new city wide renters rights team to protect and support our renters.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re cleaning up the streets – recruiting more litter pickers and declaring a war on flytipping with higher fines and more CCTV.<\/p>\n \u201cOur libraries and leisure centres are the beating hearts of communities and that’s why we are expanding library hours and making it easier for people to get healthy by expanding free swimming and rolling out free gym memberships for 11-16s and veterans.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ve made great strides- but there’s so much more to do. That’s why our manifesto sets out 100 of the things we will do. We want to keep moving our city forward and make our city a place where everyone thrives.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Councillor](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_JS403800809.jpg\")
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