We Asked, You Said, We Did

For views on the creation of a Bolton Town Centre MDC, the boundary of the MDC and if residents believed the proposal would help to support development, growth, and improvements in Bolton Town Centre.

A total of 132 responses were received through the online survey. Overall, 83.33% of respondents agree that there could be a role for a Mayoral Development Corporation in Bolton Town Centre, with 78.79% agreeing that the creation of the MDC would support development, growth and improvements. Although supportive of the MDC proposal respondents did note a number of concerns which included the potential cost of the MDC, accountability and transparency, duplication of functions with the Local authority and that community voices including businesses will not be reflected in decision making.

We have made a note of all responses, incorporating your feedback into the development of the proposal for the Bolton Town Centre MDC which will include looking at how we can address the concerns of respondents.

In summer 2025, we ran a quick survey for residents of Greater Manchester about your waste behaviours. We wanted to find out what you know about waste, why you recycle and what makes it difficult. This information will help us improve our communications.

We asked 10 questions that explored your relationship with the stuff you throw away, your bins at home, as well as wider waste services such as recycling centres. There were also questions about your understanding of the waste hierarchy, which demonstrates that reuse and repair are even better for the environment than simply recycling at home.

In the end, we received almost 9,000 responses from across Greater Manchester. This has provided us with so much rich data that will help shape the future of waste across our city-region.

It’s clear lots of people in Greater Manchester care about recycling.

Your answers showed us why you recycle with environmental benefits being the most common motivator. Over half of you stated that recycling at home had positive impacts for your local community.

In terms of barriers, around 30% of respondents said they don’t always know what goes in each bin. A follow-up question showed items such as batteries, crisp packets and ripped clothing were the items most residents get wrong.

Because we received so many responses, analysing the data has taken a bit longer than expected.

As part of the survey, we asked some demographic questions, this has given us lots of information about who is more comfortable recycling and who might need a bit more support. We’ve been able to target some of our communications at residents who live in flats and people between the ages of 18-24.

There was a lot of appetite to recycle more items at home. This isn’t always possible, but we’ve increased our communications about recycling at locations out of home such as takeback schemes in shops.

Want to know more about recycling? Follow us at @Recycle4gm and check out https://recycleforgreatermanchester.com/

For views on the creation of an Old Trafford MDC, the boundary of the MDC, whether the Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development Corporation is a suitable name and if residents believed the proposal would help to support development, growth, and improvements in the Old Trafford Regeneration Area.

A total of 36 responses were received through the online survey. Overall, 77.78% of respondents agree that there could be a role for a Mayoral Development Corporation in the Old Trafford Regeneration Area, with 77.77% agreeing that the creation of the MDC would support development, growth, and improvements. Although supportive of the MDC proposal respondents did note a number of concerns, which included, the potential cost of the MDC, the possibility of compulsory purchases, the impact the development could have on transport and social and the proposed boundary.

We have made a note of all responses, incorporating your feedback into the development of the proposal for the Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development, which will include looking at how we can address the concerns of respondents.

For views on the creation of a Stockport Town Centre East MDC, the expansion of the MDCs boundary, whether the Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation is a suitable name and if residents agreed that the MDC should continue to not have any planning or rate relief powers.

A total of 32 responses were received through the online survey. Overall, 78.13% of respondents agree with the expansion of the Mayoral Development to cover the whole of Stockport Town Centre in order to drive forward long-term regeneration. 68.76% people agree with the boundary extension proposed. 53.12% of people agreed with the name ‘Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation’,10 people (31.25%) expressed that they neither agreed nor disagreed to the proposed name. Lastly 71.87% of respondents agreed that planning & rate relief powers should remain with Stockport Council. Although supportive of the MDC proposal respondents did note a number of concerns, which included, the effects on public service provision and making sure that those living in Stockport are involved in future decisions, as well as providing several suggestions for how to expand and develop the proposals.

We have made a note of all responses, incorporating your feedback into the development of the proposal for the Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation, looking at how we can address the concerns of respondents. An example of this is the creation of an alternative name for the MDC of ‘Stockport Town Centre Mayoral Development Corporation’ which will be considered by the GM Mayor. Stockport Council have revised the Strategic Regeneration Framework, to emphasise the early consideration of vehicle movements in design, support a broader range of housing options & to reinforce the importance of green space for health, wellbeing.

We asked for feedback on the draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) aims and targets, priorities for habitats and species, how the strategy would be delivered and the draft Nature Network map. 

Between November 2024 and January 2025, over 800 residents, community groups, charities, businesses, farmers and landowners across the city-region engaged with the preparation of this strategy.  

Through surveys, workshops, events and webinars, we have heard what people think about the state of our natural environment. For example:  

• Although most Greater Manchester residents (69%) are proud of their local area, 55% of survey respondents think that the natural environment where they live is getting worse. 

• Almost half of survey respondents said they currently think the state of nature in Greater Manchester is poor (41%) and a further third thought it was in moderate condition (37%)   

• Residents stated that they are put off spending time in nature due to a lack of accessible quality green space (14%), a lack of biodiversity (16%), increasing need for land for housing and employment (16%) and green spaces in poor condition (18%). 

These responses show a strong concern about the state of Greater Manchester’s natural environment and its decline. Overall, there was broad support the direction of the draft strategy. There was an ask for clearer, more accessible information, stronger links to delivery and accountability, and reassurances about how the LNRS relates to planning and development. 

The interest and involvement generated through the public consultation on the draft of the first LNRS has been greatly welcomed. The responses received have provided valuable insights, information, and suggestions. The amendments and alterations that have been made to the Local Nature Recovery Strategy have led to a stronger, more inclusive and improved strategy. We can now move towards the next stage of delivery of the actions to support nature recovery and ensure that plays a valuable and important part in responding to the biodiversity emergency. 

You can find more about our response to the consultation in the Public Consultation Report and the published LNRS on our website: Our plan for nature recovery - Greater Manchester Combined Authority 

In partnership with the nine Places for Everyone Plan local authorities, we asked for your input on the draft Holcroft Moss Planning Obligations Joint Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), during November and December, 2024. The SPD helps to guide planning applications for new homes and businesses to ensure that the delivery of the Places for Everyone Plan does not have a negative impact on Holcroft Moss, which is part of the Manchester Mosses Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and is one of most important habitat sites around Greater Manchester. 

There was a total of 24 responses to the consultation. This includes all responses made via the consultation portal and by email. A summary of the main issues raised during the consultation have been published: Holcroft Moss Planning Obligations SPD - Greater Manchester Combined Authority

After the consultation on the draft Holcroft Moss Planning Obligations Joint SPD closed, we analysed all responses received to prepare the final SPD, which was approved for adoption by the nine Places for Everyone Plan authorities and came into effect on 08 May 2025. The adopted SPD is available on our website: Joint Supplementary Planning Documents - Greater Manchester Combined Authority

In partnership with the local authorities in Oldham, Rochdale, and Tameside, during November and December, 2024 we asked for your input on the draft South Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation (SAC) / Special Protection Areas (SPAs) Joint Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

The SPD helps to guide planning applications for new homes and businesses to ensure that the delivery of the Places for Everyone Plan does not have a negative impact the South Pennine Moors which hold important habitats for breeding birds. 

There was a total of 20 responses to the consultation. This includes all responses made via the consultation portal and by email. A summary of the main issues raised during the consultation have been published: South Pennine Moors SPD - Greater Manchester Combined Authority

After the consultation on the draft South Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation (SAC) / Special Protection Areas (SPAs)Joint SPD closed, we analysed all responses received to prepare the final SPD, which was approved for adoption by the local authorities in Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside and came into effect on 08 May 2025. The adopted SPD is available on our website: Joint Supplementary Planning Documents - Greater Manchester Combined Authority

The purpose of this registration form is to gain your consent, as a training recipient, to providing your information for the purposes of the delivery of the Bee Smart Project and to provide you with details of how we will handle your data.

Through your responses we were able to identify your local authority and preferences

We have made a note of all responses and will use this data for the purpose of the Bee smart project.

We asked residents about this year's proposals, to increase the police precept by £10.11 per year (84 pence a month) for a B property (80% of households in Greater Manchester are in Bands A-C). For a Band D property, the increase would be by £13 per year (or £1.08 a month).

With support a £10.11 increase for a Band B property or £13 for a Band D property would provide an additional £10.5 million of funding to enable GMP to:

• Remain one of the best police forces in the country in answering 999 and 101 calls.
• Further improve response times for emergency and non-emergency incidents.
• Retain investment in neighbourhood policing and crime prevention teams to further reduce neighbourhood crimes.
• Invest a further 30 police officers into front line policing roles in 2024/25.
• Increase policing of the transport network through the launch of Operation Vulcan Network with increased policing presence in and around Piccadilly and Victoria stations.
• Invest in locking up more criminals and providing swifter and better services for victims and witnesses through investment in investigations and criminal justice units.
• Invest in prosecuting offenders with a focus on increasing arrests for sex offenders and ensuring justice for vulnerable victims.

Together and with your help, we aim to continue GMP’s positive journey and deliver to you the most effective police service in the UK.

There was 758 responses to the consultation.

Following the result of the consultation, a precept increase of £13 to the current band D precept was proposed and supported.  Following this increase the Greater Manchester police and crime precept will remain one of the 10 lowest out of the 42 police and crime areas of England.

Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner Precept - Greater Manchester Combined Authority (greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk)

'Places for Everyone (PfE) is the long-term plan of nine Greater Manchester districts for jobs, new homes and sustainable growth. The plan sets out a strategic policy framework for the nine boroughs and helps these areas to meet their local housing and employment needs by identifying land and infrastructure to support growth.

Since its submission the appointed Inspectors have been examining the submitted Plan to determine whether it meets the tests of soundness defined in national planning policy and meets all the relevant legislative requirements.

As part of the examination the Inspectors raised questions, matters and issues that were prompted by their review of the Plan and which probed issues of soundness and specific issues raised during the consultation on the Publication Plan 2021.

Following this process, the Planning Inspectors identified a number of ‘Main Modifications’. The consultation asked whether the proposed modifications were needed to make the plan sound and whether or not their wording was effective.

There were a total of 177 responses to the consultation. This includes all responses made via the consultation portal and by email and post.  

Following on from the consultation in 2021 the plan for new homes, jobs, and sustainable growth in Greater Manchester, is now undergoing a public examination by the Planning Inspectorate.

All duly made responses to the consultation have been published - All responses to the Main Modification consultation

The Inspectors will consider the representations made before finalising their examination report.  Further hearing sessions will not usually be held, unless the Inspectors consider them essential to deal with substantial issues raised in the representations, or to ensure fairness. 

News on the next stage for Places for Everyone will be published on our website Places For Everyone - Greater Manchester Combined Authority (greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk)

We asked you to provide feedback on how we can improve our programme in 2024.

Your feedback mentioned how we can improve our sessions through the day of delivery, times and content.

We have analysed the responses and will be incorporating your feedback into the development of the programme we run in 2024

GMCA decided to consult on a proposed new approach to cultural investment from 2023 onwards. The previous GMCA culture fund period had been in place for three years. Across this period, a portfolio of 35 GM cultural organisations and 14 multi-organisation projects were supported.

Greater Manchester is rightly proud of its cultural offer. Culture and heritage are some of the biggest reasons residents like and are proud of living in Greater Manchester.

The COVID pandemic has had a significant impact on Greater Manchester’s cultural landscape. The Centre for Cultural Value’s Culture in Crisis report earlier this year highlighted well the impacts on the workforce, organisations, and audiences.

During the consultation period, the culture consultation gathered over 11,799 impressions on twitter with 1,358 people going to the culture webpages on the GMCA website to find out more. We had over 200 people go through the full consultation questions with 52 people submitting completed responses.

This survey was supported by both online and face to face engagement sessions. We had 58 attendees to online consultation events and 28 attendees to in person events, giving 138 responses in total. Attendees ranged from freelancers and sole traders to larger cultural organisations.

84.6% of respondents agreed the investment priorities set out in the GM Culture Strategy remain fit for purpose. 79.6% of respondents agreed with the proposed investment approach set out above, and 78.9% of respondents agreed this revised approach better reflects GM’s cultural landscape. Comments from respondents reflected many of the comments from stakeholders, particularly emphasising the importance of supporting the sustainability of the culture sector in GM, and welcomed the two new areas for investment proposed, namely Inspire and Collaborate.

We issued a press release on the outcome of the consultation which can be found here - Greater Manchester Culture Fund opens for applications - Greater Manchester Combined Authority (greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk)

There was also a report paper finalising the future of cultural investment went to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority meeting on 28 October 2022. The full report can be found here – https://democracy.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/documents/s23432/13%20New%20Culture%20Fund%20approach%20281020220.pdf. The consultation section of the report reads -  

Given the proposed changes to cultural investment in Greater Manchester proposed within this paper, GMCA Culture Team officers have consulted on the proposed new approach set out above, as well as testing if the current investment priorities, as set out in the GM Culture Strategy, are still fit for purpose.

The previous priorities were to:

• Contribute to the recognition of Greater Manchester locally, nationally and internationally to attract new investment, new visitors and new talent to Greater Manchester
• Make a positive contribution to improving skills and employability of residents in Greater Manchester, including support for the creative education, expression and ambition of young people across Greater Manchester
• Play a strong role in developing strong and inclusive communities and an improved quality of life for residents, particularly those residents at risk of disengagement or social isolation
• Be able to evidence how the project will make a positive contribution to improving residents’ health and well-being and meeting our equality duties.
• Provide paid employment and opportunities for freelancers, individual practitioners and organisations within the Greater Manchester

One area of concern raised during consultation was the timeline to bid into the pillars. It was suggested that the primary focus should be to look to have Spirit and Sustain application process in place from Autumn 2022 so successful organisations can deliver from April 2023. For both Inspire and Collaborate, to allow potential bidders more time to develop proposals and bring together consortia for Collaborate, it was suggested that the application process for these opens from Spring 2023. This was built into the timescale.

We asked people whether they agreed with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor’s proposal to raise the policing element of council tax by an extra £0.83 a month for a Band D household, or 55p per month for a Band A property, over the course of 2022/23.

Thanks to the support of local residents, the money raised through the police precept since 2017 has enabled the Mayor to recruit over 990 more police officers with GMP.

The proposed additional funding would enable us to further invest in frontline services.

There were 1096 responses to the consultation on GM Consult.

Overall, 23% of respondents said that they support, in principle, an increase of £0.83 a month or more as part of their council tax payment to help Greater Manchester Police invest in neighbourhood policing. 30% thought it should remain the same and 44% thought it should be reduced.

Last year, instead of an increase of £15 a year for a Band D Property, The Mayor and Deputy Mayor proposed to reduce this to £10 more a year for a Band D property.

On 31 January 2022, The Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel voted in favour of raising the police element of council tax by £0.83 a month for a Band D property.

This extra funding, along with the central government grant, will support:

• The transformation of the GMP contact centre that deals with 999 and 101 calls. The investment will increase staffing levels and flexibility to ensure calls are answered quickly and police officers are sent to those in need immediately.
• 438 additional police officers, with 60 of them dedicated to road safety which will allow travel safe officers to focus on other policing such as public transport safety.
• Continuation of the new Operation Avro days of action. These days, which will take place in each area of Greater Manchester, will see a surge of officers and specially trained teams dealing with issues communities tell GMP they want to see dealt with.
• A community messaging system that Neighbourhood Policing Teams will use to inform local communities about what they are doing and that the public can use to get more involved in working with local police officers to identify issues of concern within the locality.

The current police precept for a Band D property is £218.30 which will increase to £228.30 a year and a Band A property will go up from £145.53 to £152.20.

Even with the increase, the Greater Manchester police and crime precept will remain one of the 10 lowest out of the 42 police and crime areas of England.

Read more:

• Funding for improvements to GMP agreed

Places for Everyone (PfE) is the long-term plan of nine Greater Manchester districts for jobs, new homes and sustainable growth. The plan sets out a strategic policy framework for the nine boroughs and helps these areas to meet their local housing and employment needs by identifying land and infrastructure to support growth.

The consultation asked whether the plan, meets something referred to as the ‘tests of soundness’. These include whether the plan promotes economic growth and makes provision for development; whether it is backed up by robust evidence; whether the plans are based on effective and achievable policies; and whether they are consistent with policies at a national level.

Members of the public were also asked whether the nine local authorities have provided the necessary evidence and complied with the requirements arising from the duty to co-operate, which places a duty on local planning authorities to engage constructively with one another to maximise the effectiveness of local plans.

There were 1949 responses to the consultation on the consultation portal - GMconsult in 2021. Other responses were received via email and post.

Following on from the consultation in 2021 the plan for new homes, jobs, and sustainable growth in Greater Manchester, is now undergoing a public examination by the Planning Inspectorate.

Starting on 1 November, a series of hearings are taking place where Planning Inspectors appointed by the Secretary of State will test whether the plan in sound and legally compliant. This means that the Inspectors have to be satisfied that the plan is positively prepared, justified, effective, and consistent with national policy, and that it meets legal requirements including the duty to cooperate.

The sessions will also hear representations from individuals, community groups and organisations who submitted comments during the consultation on the publication plan in 2021.

Almost 200 requests were made to participate in the hearings, and around 25 participants have been invited to attend each hearing session. Members of the public also have the option to attend and observe proceedings in person. All sessions will be streamed live online and will also be made available on the GMCA website.

• To read the press release updating stakeholders on the process – Places for Everyone plan progresses to next stage with examination by Government inspectors - Greater Manchester Combined Authority (greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk)
• To read Deputy Mayor Paul Dennett's opening statement at the Places for Everyone Examination in Public - Greater Manchester Combined Authority (greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk)
• For further information about the Examination in Public - Examination - Greater Manchester Combined Authority (greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk)
• To watch the hearing sessions from the Examination in Public - Examination Webcasts - Greater Manchester Combined Authority (greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk)

We want Greater Manchester to be one of the best places in the world for people to grow, up, get on and grow old – and we are on a journey to achieve that. But the prevalence of gender-based violence represents a major barrier to achieving our ambition.

That’s why we have produced a Gender-Based Violence Strategy, which sets out a comprehensive, responsive programme of service delivery to enhance the safety of women and girls, while preventing gender-based violence from occurring in the first place and challenging the attitudes and inequalities that enable it.

We launched a public consultation on our Gender-Based Violence Strategy on 22nd June. The consultation consisted of a questionnaire asking questions in respect of each chapter, and closed on 1st August.

The questionnaire was complemented by a number of focus groups and one-to-one interviews with victims and survivors of gender-based violence. 150 responses to the on-line questionnaire were received. Consultation also involved: the Greater Manchester Women and Girls Equality Panel; Disability Panel; Older People’s Network; and a sub-group of the Race Equality Panel.

The public consultation ran from 22 June to 1 August. The various results and themes from the consultation are detailed in our consultation report, published in September 2021, which can be found here: Gender-Based Violence Strategy - Response to Public Consultation (PDF, 242KB)

Our final strategy was published on Friday 24 September 2021.

Alongside this, there will be a bespoke plan created to address how to effectively meet the needs of male victims and survivors. This will cover acts of violence, abuse and exploitation in which men or boys are the victims, and in which their gender, sexuality and/or intimate relationships are motivating or prevailing factors.

And there will also be a new Gender-Based Violence Board established, which will drive the implementation of the Strategy over the next 10 years.

Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) is the public facing brand of GMCA Waste & Resources.

We work with local councils in Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford to inspire and encourage the residents of Greater Manchester to manage their waste and recycling responsibly. We aim to help residents to see the value of waste and the real benefits that can be achieved by wasting less and recycling right. Wigan is not part of R4GM because it administers its own disposal arrangements.

In 2020, we launched a campaign in Oldham called ‘Buy, Keep, Eat, Repeat’. This was focused on helping residents to reduce their food waste, and recycle any food waste they did have, instead of putting it in their general waste bin. Every household with kerbside wheelie bin collections in Oldham received a leaflet in November 2020, and the campaign was further supported by a dedicated webpage on both Oldham council’s and R4GM’s websites, and social media posts with tips on how to reduce food waste. In February 2021 we carried out a survey to understand people’s behaviours around food waste, food recycling and what would help reduce the amount of food they throw away. We also asked some questions about the Buy, Keep, Eat, Repeat logo and campaign messaging, as well as questions about other national/local food waste campaigns. This survey was targeted at Oldham residents who have food and garden bins as part of their kerbside collections.

We had 451 responses in total. 75% of people said they generally put food waste in their green bin or food caddy. Those who said that they generally recycled their food waste as opposed to putting it in the general waste bin, were then asked if they use caddy liners: 69% of those said that they did use caddy liners.

For those who said they generally put food waste in their grey general waste bin, we asked them why this was. 18 people selected ‘other’ from the list of options; the most common answer was that the green bin did not get emptied so they put food in their grey bin instead.

We also asked people what would motivate them to recycle their food waste if they didn’t already recycle it. The most popular answer here was if it saved space in the grey bin, followed by ‘if it helps the environment’. For those who already recycled their food waste, the main motivation behind them doing this was because they want to recycle as much of their waste as possible.

We also asked people if they thought various items could be recycled in their green bin. A large majority of people were correct about which bin they should put each item. However, 52% of people thought compostable packaging could be recycled in their green bin/food caddy when it should go in the grey general waste bin.

59% of people said that the reason they throw away food at home from time to time was because the food was out of date.

When asked what they do to help reduce the amount of food they throw away at home, 84% of people said that they check what is left in the fridge and cupboards before they do another shop. 74% said they make a list when they go shopping. 73% said they freeze leftovers.

We then asked what support you may need to reduce the amount of food thrown away. The most popular answer was tips on how to store food so it lasts as long as possible (35%). 33% said tips on what food can be recycled and how to recycle food waste. 20% said recipes and cooking tips.

The survey also showed that most people were ‘very concerned’ about the environmental impact of producing and transporting food, and ‘fairly concerned’ about the environmental impact of disposing of food waste.

Finally, we asked for feedback on our Buy, Keep, Eat, Repeat logo and general campaign approach. 66% of people said they quite liked the logo. 59% also said they quite liked the approach of the campaign being split into 4 sections.

The results of the survey were collated and will be used to develop our future work around food waste.

Some of the feedback received has helped us to tailor our messages further when posting about the Buy, Keep, Eat, Repeat campaign on social media. For example, for the question about what support is needed to help reduce food waste, most people selected tips on how to store food. Additionally, the third most popular answer was recipes and cooking tips. Therefore, future posts will focus more on the ‘keep’ and ‘eat’ sections of the campaign. As people also requested more support with tips on what food can be recycled and how to recycle food waste, there will be messaging about how to dispose of compostable packaging. Most people were ‘very concerned’ or ‘fairly concerned’ about the environmental impact of food waste. Further to this, helping the environment was a motivation for some people to recycle their food waste. Therefore, future messaging around food waste will link to climate change through facts and statistics, to show that reducing your food waste on an individual level can help fight climate change.

For more information about our current campaigns, please visit: https://recycleforgreatermanchester.com/community/ or search #BuyKeepEatRepeat on Twitter.

We asked people for their views on a range of environmental issues to help shape Greater Manchester’s first Local Nature Recovery Plan.

This Nature Recovery Plan will be a blueprint for the future of Greater Manchester’s natural environment and local wildlife. It will set out what needs to be done to restore declining species and habitats, and give nature the best chance to recover. Specifically, the plan will:

• Map the most valuable existing habitats for nature
• Agree priorities for nature recovery
• Help identify where funding is most needed
• Help us sustainably manage and restore nature
• Identify new green opportunities for the city-region

We received 1087 responses to this consultation.

90% of respondents felt that a range of measures to help nature recover in Greater Manchester were “fairly important” or “very important”. These measures ranged from creating more urban green space, to introducing new areas of protected sites and protecting vulnerable wildlife and habitats.

A significant majority of responses also felt that Greater Manchester was facing a range of challenges with respect to nature, including air quality, climate change, species decline and encroachment of new developments.

97% of respondents were “fairly concerned” or “very concerned” about the future of nature in Greater Manchester. We also received a high number of suggested sites that respondents felt could be suitable for nature recovery.

The results of the survey have been reviewed by the Nature Recovery Plan project team, and along with our ongoing engagemnet work with stakeholders, have been used to formulate the Greater Manchester Nature Recovery Plan. 

This is almost complete and the Plan will be delivered to Defra by 28th May 2021. 

We asked Trafford residents their views on a joint Recycle for Greater Manchester and Trafford council plastics campaign called ‘Got to Be A Bottle’. The aim of this survey was to see if people had seen the campaign leaflet, sticker, or advertisements, and whether seeing the information had changed their behaviour when it came to plastic recycling in their black mixed recycling bin.

The survey also aimed to find out where people would usually go for information if they were unsure of what could or could not be recycled.

Respondents were asked about:

• Which bin they would put various items in
• If they had seen any recycling information in the last 12 months
• Whether the Got To Be A Bottle leaflet, sticker and adverts had changed their behaviour
• Where they look for recycling information if they are unsure of how to recycle something
• If they had any other comments about recycling in their black bin
• How they found out about the survey

We received 336 responses to this consultation.

Recycling in your bin

Over 90% of respondents showed us that they were already recycling correctly in their blue paper and card bin, black mixed recycling bin and green food and garden bin.

However, tissues seemed to cause some confusion as 24% of respondents were putting used tissues into their blue paper and card bin instead of their general waste bin.

The overall results suggest that those who completed the survey where aware of which types of plastic could and could not be recycled in their black mixed recycling bin.

Recycling information

Within the last 12 months 48% of respondents had seen a recycling information bin sticker, 42% had seen information on a leaflet and 27% could remember that they had seen information on social media channels.

Got to Be A Bottle campaign

Only 5% recalled the recycling Got to Be A Bottle campaign bus stop advertisement, however 14% did remember receiving the recycling campaign leaflet and agreed that it changed their recycling habits. 16% recall seeing the campaign bin sticker and felt that it helped them improve their recycling.

Most respondents who used the opportunity to tell us about recycling in Trafford commented on plastics recycling, for example:

‘You should be allowed plastics that have same pet symbols on trays that is same as plastic bottles or on plastic that say it can be "recycle" on label.’

‘Would like to be able to recycle plastic tubs and trays’

We have passed on the results of the survey to Trafford Council

Trafford Council will use the results of the survey to help inform and improve future waste and recycling campaigns, promotions, and engagement. They will continue to use social media, bin stickers and leaflets to support their recycling campaigns. They will also be working with Recycle for Greater Manchester to increase the influence of their recycling messages through social media live events, as respondents are looking for recycling information on social media platforms. 

Trafford Council have recognised that the issue of plastic recycling is of interest to many residents, and to make sure that residents get up to date information about how plastics are recycled and processed they have linked the Council’s website directly to Recycle for Greater Manchester’s website. This website provides users with an explanation of why we only accept plastic bottles and what happens to other plastic items that are put into general waste bins.

To find out about plastic waste and recycling please visit What happens to my plastic?

As a direct result of the survey Trafford Council have improved the waste and recycling pages on their website to ensure that it is clearer to a wider range of users.

To view their updated pages please visit Bins and Recycling in Trafford

Greater Manchester Independent Inequalities Commission’s Call for Ideas asked for suggestions on how to tackle inequality in Greater Manchester. The survey also asked for comments on current inequalities, particularly those highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, given that many of these inequalities are deep-seated and often generational in origin, respondents were invited to describe these longstanding inequalities, and to suggest how local resources might be deployed to help redress them.

The survey questions explored the following areas:

• economic inequality
• democratic decision-making, power and voice
• good employment and adult skills
• education and young people
• democratising asset ownership
• health inequality
• universal basic services
• structural racism
• the key actions needed to tackle inequality in Greater Manchester, and the key barriers to doing so

In total, we received 120 people responses to the online survey.

You told us that the current UK economic model helps to embed inequality, and that Greater Manchester should adopt a fairer model that addresses spatial inequality and targets investment towards disadvantaged areas and groups. Decision making needs to be representative, collective and inclusive of all communities, with more diversity and proper, ‘bottom-up’ co-production.

You said that access to employment, and particularly to ‘good work’, is essential to prevent the impacts of the pandemic further widening existing inequalities. Recruitment practices need to enhance the diversity of workplaces so that they reflect the wider community. Greater Manchester should incentivise responsible employers, who treat their workers well regardless of background, pay fair wages and offer flexible working. The living wage was felt to be a good way to effect change, especially through public sector procurement practice; zero-hour contracts are generally low pay and poor-quality, and reform is urgently needed. In particular, young people need targeted employment support, and the ongoing challenges faced by people of colour and those with disabilities need to be addressed.

You were clear that investment in skills was needed, with inadequate digital skills identified as a key barrier to improving employment opportunities, and digital exclusion a central factor in embedding inequality across all age groups. Learning mentors, more use of library facilities and extra-curricular provision were advocated to support children and young people. More broadly, greater investment in further education and apprenticeships would bring significant benefit, as would a wider variety of vocational training, particularly if co-designed with learners. Alongside, tailored mental health support is required, particularly for young people who have struggled during the COVID-19 crisis.

In response to our question on democratic ownership and business models to reduce inequalities, you suggested empowering local communities by promoting community ownership. Business support approaches to resource co-operatives and social enterprises would enable community asset and wealth building, helped by schemes to encourage local residents and public sector procurement to ‘buy local’.

You said that equal access to quality health and care services was required to address health inequalities. Better representation in the health and care system was a common theme, including targeting employment in the sector from under-represented communities, and involving people with lived experience in service design. Many potential ‘universal basic services’ are key determinants of physical and mental health and wellbeing: you wanted all Greater Manchester residents to have a right to affordable housing, childcare, transport and digital connectivity. Most particularly, action is needed to improve quality, choice and security in the rental sector, and to address homelessness and rough sleeping.

Many of you stressed the impact of structural racism in embedding inequality for Greater Manchester’s ethnic communities. Reform is needed to ensure better representation in leadership roles, and to test policies for their impact on all residents. The intersection between race and class inequality was highlighted: many of our poorer residents are also people of colour.  Language barriers need to be addressed by ensuring that everyone can access information and services, and have their voice heard, regardless of the language they speak. Meaningful outreach and mentoring opportunities were also felt to be good ways to bring about positive change, as was more comprehensive curriculum content on racism in schools. 

You identified underfunding and austerity-linked cuts as drivers of inequality in recent years. Alongside the unequal distribution of wealth and assets across Greater Manchester, this was exacerbating polarisation between areas and residents with resources and those without. 

The Independent Inequalities Commission looked at the responses and discussed them whilst were considering its recommendations. Many of the responses chimed with what people were saying directly to the Commission, which gave weight to the ideas and has meant that many were picked up in the recommendations made in the report.

Furthermore, the Commission was able to directly recount some of the survey responses in its report, as evidence of how the Call for Ideas has shaped the content. Commission members felt that it was important to show how their thinking had been influenced by the responses that local people had taken the time to submit.

The report also provides case studies and examples of the great work that is happening across Greater Manchester to tackle inequalities.

• Read Greater Manchester's Independent Inequalities Commission report The Next Level: Good Lives for All in Greater Manchester

The Greater Manchester Independent Inequalities Commission would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond and helped influence its report.

We asked people whether they agreed with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor’s proposal to raise the policing element of council tax by an extra £1.25 a month for a Band D household over the course of 2021/22.

Thanks to the support of local residents, the money raised through the police precept since 2018 has enabled us to invest in 667 extra police officers, 40 additional call handlers and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) automated telephony system technology to improve the 101 service, and investment in frontline officers through clothing, footwear, training and equipment.

The proposed additional funding would enable us to further invest in frontline services and deliver:

• 325 extra police officers
• a new approach to safeguarding with 150 officers to keep our most vulnerable victims safe
• a new city centre team concentrating on violence reduction
• a pilot programme to ensure that a crisis worker responds alongside a police officer to reports of rape and serious sexual offences
• mentoring for young people involved with or at risk of becoming involved in gang activity
• continuing to fund a mental health tactical advice service
• road safety initiatives including piloting community-led Speedwatch schemes

There were 502 responses to the consultation on GMConsult.

Overall, 34% of respondents said that they support, in principle, an increase of £1.25 a month or more as part of their council tax payment to help Greater Manchester Police invest in neighbourhood policing, 30% thought it should remain the same and 31.5% thought it should be reduced.

Instead of an increase of £15 a year for a Band D Property, The Mayor and Deputy Mayor proposed to reduce this to £10 more a year for a Band D property.

On 29 January 2021, The Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel voted in favour of raising the police element of council tax by £10 a year for a Band D property. 

The extra funding will support:

• Funding for training and equipment for 325 new officers
• A new approach to safeguarding with 150 officers to keep our most vulnerable victims safe
• Initiatives to reduce death and serious injury on the roads, supporting conventional enforcement with a more localised approach to educate drivers, including pilots of community led speed-watch schemes.

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£10 police precept increase will help fund hundreds of extra police officers