It is by far the country’s most controversial property scheme. A retail, leisure and residential redevelopment of one of Manchester’s true heritage assets, which will cost some prominent local figures their homes. With the planning application already in, objections number in the literal millions.
We are talking, of course, of Coronation Street in (fictional) Weatherfield, where residents are fighting to save their beloved cobbles as part of the soap opera’s 60th anniversary celebrations (if indeed that is the correct word) this week.
Corrie’s latest moustache-twirling villain, Ray Crosby, is behind the scheme, together with – shock, horror – mechanic Kevin Webster’s sister, Debbie (played by Sue Devaney, who readers of a certain vintage may also remember as “our Rita” in Jonny Briggs).
They’ve been busily trying to persuade everyone to sell up on the sly for months, and now that the cat is out of the bag, last week Ray rather rashly promised an extra £50k to anyone who falls in line. Clearly, the property sector is booming in Weatherfield.
However, neighbourhood champions Roy Cropper and Ken Barlow are trying to get a former brewery central to the scheme listed. At time of writing, the bulldozers are moving in, but the cast “shall not be moved”.
With Christmas around the corner, it’s sure to be an eventful time on the Street – after all, carnage and death are festive staples. So, fingers crossed the outcome of this planning wrangle is more explosive than most. But Diary has to wonder… from episodes of Scooby-Doo, to seemingly half of all US crime procedurals, to the world’s longest-running soap, why are property developers always the bad guys?
Bah humbug!
That giant inflatable Santa in your garden may be doing wonders for your Christmas spirit, but if you are selling your home it seems like its effects may be rather more… deflating.
According to the number crunchers at Bankrate UK, 60% of UK buyers and renters have been put off a property by the extent of its festive decor. And large inflatable characters (whether a snowman, a reindeer or jolly ol’ St Nick himself) are the absolute worst offenders, with 26% of respondents saying they were what made the property in question less appealing. Garish electronics and religious scenes are equally off-putting (23% each), with overly cluttered internal decorations reviled by 22%.
“With 2020 being the ‘annus horribilis’ for many, it’s little wonder that households across the UK are getting into the festive spirit early this year,” said Bankrate’s expert, Nisha Vaidya. “But while decorations are wonderful, homeowners looking to sell their property in December should be mindful that buyers may not have the same taste in festive decor. Sellers should consider their buyers when decorating for Christmas.”
So, if your house is on the market, don’t deck the halls with boughs of holly, ’tis not the season to be jolly (fa-la-la-la-la, etc).
Keeping it wreath
When it comes to socialising during a coronavirus Christmas, what better way to network than with a crafty, virtual festive workshop? Diary jumped on board when a DIY wreath kit turned up on the doorstep, courtesy of the kind folks at Octopus Real Estate and florist Emily Tallulah.
A thoughtfully provided bottle of mulled wine helped Diary muddle through a first-ever attempt, which involved missing several steps, creating a forest floor in the dining room and squashing fragile berry sprigs, before throwing caution to the wind and haphazardly piling all of the decorations on.
Diary is pleased with the result, although still not 100% confident it is structurally sound enough for hanging. As fun as it was, we won’t be giving up the day job anytime soon…
Street signs of the times
Diary is a firm believer in inclusivity, and the single greatest redeeming feature of 2020 is without doubt the increased awareness of the powerful need to address inequality in our society. But there are probably cooler ways of going about it than using street names.
Nevertheless, you have to applaud the efforts of Birmingham City Council to “reflect community values” in just such a way. They threw the naming of six new streets in the Perry Barr area open to a public competition, and – instead of something like Streety McStreet Street romping to victory – the winning entries from Louise Kilbride of Handsworth Wood have rather more substance.
“I came across the street-naming competition in the council’s e-newsletter,” said Kilbride. “It got me thinking about street names that could in some way reflect the diversity of the Perry Barr area – names that would have a positive meaning for local people and echo my belief that everyone deserves decent housing.”
A sentiment we can surely get behind, and now 1,400 much-needed homes will be provided on Diversity Grove, Equality Road, Destiny Road, Inspire Avenue, Respect Way and Humanity Close. You don’t have to be woke to live there, but it definitely helps.
Contact diary@egi.co.uk
