Residents in Ancoats are turning to Web 2.0 tools in their campaign to remove a blot on their landscape.
They say the Butty Bar has been abandoned, is full of litter and broken bottles and attracts drug users and other anti-social behaviour.
So they’ve launched a campaign to put pressure on the North West Development Agency to demolish it and develop the land.
So far, an online petition has been launched and support has been drummed up using the micro-blogging platform Twitter.
Phill Healey, 32, of Munklefish Media and who lives in the nearby MM2 Apartments started the campaign.
He said: “Essentially the NWDA have abandoned the buttybar and its impossible to get anyone to accept it exists.
“The building is in a really bad state of disrepair / falling down and looks a real mess. They are spending millions on cobbling the roads etc yet this building is an absolute eyesore.
“The car park is full of dead tree matter -since it doesn’t get cleaned up more than once a year-, the car park is full of litter and broken bottles from clubbers, and you can get down a path at the side & rear of the building which is used by druggies, and scallies use it to hide their stolen goods.”
A spokesperson for the NWDA said the authority would be pursuing planning permission to demolish the building in the New Year.
She said: “The Agency is currently seeking permission to demolish the Butty Box building as part our wider plans for the regeneration of Ancoats. Our long-term vision for this site is to sell it for commerical use. During the interim we will be keeping it secure and well-maintained.”
Until that day, the campaign goes on. If you want to support the residents in their fight you can sign the petition here. I will bring you progress reports on this campaign in the New Year.
* Are you campaigning to improve your neighbourhood? In the New Year, I’ll be launching a new scheme to help community groups get their voices heard via the MEN website. Drop me a line and let me know about your campaign to community@men-news.co.uk.
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Dim Sum Digital 
This is the future of politics. I am Labour’s parliamentary candidate in Manchester Withington and would like to see this kind of thing springing up in my constituency.
People identify less with political parties but they still care about what happens in their community and its up to people like me to connect them to the decision making process to actually get things done.
Would be happy to hear from anyone who wants to organise on this kind of community level in the Withington/Didsbury/Chorlton/Burnage area – regardless of whether you vote Labour:)
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