Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has set out in his election year some major pledges for the region
There will be more buses coming under public control with the BeeNetwork, the launch of the Good Landlord Charter, and the trailblazing Greater Manchester Baccalaureate as well as the promise of a New Railway station
In a New Year announcement of his ambitions for the region, Burnham said that he will begin a public consultation on building the first new railway station in Greater Manchester for 25 years.
“The west of our city-region is particularly poorly-served by public transport and that is why the proposal for a new station in Golborne has come out as a high priority. If it receives public support, and all goes to plan, building will commence in 2026 and the first services in 2027.”
On the 24th of March, the north of Greater Manchester will become the second area in England to see buses go back under public control. The arrival of the Bee Network in Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and North Manchester
50 per cent of the region’s buses will then be under local control with the south of the city-region coming under control precisely one year from now on 5 January 2025.
This January will also see a public consultation on the new Greater Manchester Good Landlord Charter.
”We know there are many decent landlords in our city-region and the introduction of the Charter will give them a way of being recognised as such. That said, we know there are others who do not treat their tenants properly and do not respect our communities. For the first time, our residents will have a greater ability to distinguish between the two.” said the Mayor
In September will come what Burnham describes as a “new personal mission for me.” with the launch of Greater Manchester Baccalaureate – or MBacc – to sit alongside the EBacc and give all our young people two clear equal paths at 14
Tbere will be one academic and one technical, but importantly with the opportunity to move between them in the future.
“The MBacc will steer them towards GCSEs and other qualifications most favoured by employers and then on to post-16 opportunities and the many great jobs we have in the GM economy.” says the Mayor adding
“We will build the MBacc through the academic years of the rest of this decade so that, by 2030, our city-region will boast the country’s first employer-driven, integrated technical education system. It will offer young people an equal and clear technical pathway in life, help employers fill workforce shortages and give investors another reason to come here.”
