The Greater Manchester Grants Scheme

The ten Greater Manchester district authorities established a Greater Manchester Grants Scheme in 1986. The Scheme allows district authorities to give grants to non-statutory organisations which provide services that impact on a number of districts.

The Grants Scheme has two major priorities, at least one of which a funded organisation must meet. They are:
• To contribute to the recognition of Greater Manchester locally, nationally and internationally as a creative and vibrant County helping to create the conditions necessary to attract potential investment
• To contribute to an improved quality of life for all its residents through its first priority above and by supporting agencies which assist those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged

To further information click on the Read More view link below.

The Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit (GMAU) acts as the archaeological curator for the ten Districts of Greater Manchester. The county archaeologists provide advice across the county on all matters relating to archaeology, including appropriate protection and recording measures on development sites.

The Role of GMAU
The staff at GMAU are involved in many different aspects of this work:
•  Formulating planning policy
•  Assessing the likely archaeological implications of development proposals
•  Recommending any necessary archaeological work as a planning condition
•  Modifying proposals to reduce their archaeological impact
•  Drawing up briefs and specifications
•  Monitoring archaeological works
•  Providing lists of archaeological consultants, contractors and specialists
•  Mediating between clients and archaeological contractors
•  Preparing research agendas within the planning process
•  Conserving, managing and interpreting archaeological remains
•  Engaging communities with their local heritage.

Archaeology within Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester has an extraordinarily important and diverse history which is reflected in a rich historic environment of archaeological sites, monuments and buildings, museum collections of national and international importance, and historical archives, records and in particular the Historic Environment Record. The historic assets of Greater Manchester include: Prehistoric burial mounds and hillforts; Roman forts; Medieval townscapes and the Post-Medieval legacy of the region's industrial past, which together provide a rich resource for archaeological enquiry, study, management and development. See our Projects section for details of local archaeology.

The Historic Environment Record
GMAU maintains the Historic Environment Record (HER) (select for full details) for Manchester which lists all known sites, structures and landscapes of archaeological interest.

 Aims, Objectives and Vision
Our Aim is to provide inspiration for the development of sustainable policies and practice for the historic environment:
•  To develop an integrated service which enhances the educational potential of the historic environment
•  To promote intellectual and physical access to information concerning the historic environment for the enjoyment of all
•  To develop an archaeological research strategy for the protection and enhancement of the archaeological resource that is realistic and achievable and which will be implemented in a sensitive and sustainable manner
•  And to identify and review measures for the curation of the archaeological resource.
Our Vision is to investigate, study and record the historical and archaeological environment, and thereby promote understanding, appreciation, protection and enhancement of the archaeological and historic assets of Greater Manchester. The Unit will do this by working in partnership with the ten districts of Greater Manchester and the University of Manchester.
In October 2004 the Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST merged to become the University of Manchester which is intended to develop into 'one of the world's leading universities over the course of the next decade'.
The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) is uniquely placed in having within this university both a planning and conservation service in GMAU, and a Field Archaeology Centre in the University of Manchester Archaeological Unit (UMAU) committed to community archaeology, education and outreach based at the University.

Further Information
Address:  University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL
Tel:           (0161) 275 2314
Fax:          (0161) 275 2315
Email:      norman.redhead@manchester.ac.uk
Website:  http://www.gmau.manchester.ac.uk/

Records Held By GMCRO

GMCRO's main function is to collect, store, and make available for research the written heritage of the County. We hold approximately 4 miles of archives, dating from 1197.  Record types held include:

• Public records, including hospital records, court records, coroners' records
• Business records, including those of the Manchester Ship Canal Co
• Estate papers, including Egerton of Heaton Hall, Legh of Lyme Hall
• Local organisations and societies
• Newspapers, maps, trade directories
• Documentary photography archive

Family History

GMCRO is also a major source for family historians, holding copies of:

• General Register Office indexes of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales 1837-2007. Provisional Indexes of births and deaths 2008 & March quarter 2009, at the present time but continually updated. Being one of only 6 offices in England and Wales to hold the modern indexes. National Adoption index 1927 – 2008, Civil Partnership index 2005 - 2007
• Index of grants to probate for England and Wales 1858-1950
• 8 computers for Family History research
• Ancestry web site for births, marriages, deaths & census returns. Free to view for all users, 20p per printout.       

Other Services

GMCRO also provides the following services:

•  Conservation and reprographics service to participating authorities for the cost of materials only
• Conservation and reprographics commercial service
• Records management service for local public authorities and small businesses

 Information Available on GMCRO's Website

GMCRO's web-site contains an electronic copy of its Guide to Collections, as well as a significant proportion of its catalogues. Description of the photographic archive and also some catalogues are available on www.nationalarchives.gov.uk /a2a/

Archival material is also available online for the teaching of history, with Education Packs for teachers, including a Key stage 3 pack based on Prestwich Asylum.

Opening Hours:

Monday  -  9am to 5pm

Tuesday  -  9am to 5pm

Wednesday  -  9am to 1pm

Thursday  -  9am to 5pm

Friday  -  9am to 5pm

2nd and 4th Saturday of the month  -  9am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm

Address: 56 Marshall Street, New Cross, Manchester, M4 5FU.

Tel:         (0161) 832 5284        Fax:        (0161) 839 3808

Email:     archives@gmcro.co.uk

Website:  www.gmcro.co.uk

The Greater Manchester Ecology Unit (GMEU) provides specialist advice to, and on behalf of, the ten district councils that make up Greater Manchester on biodiversity, nature conservation and wildlife issues. GMEU is hosted by Tameside MBC and is based in Ryecroft Hall in Audenshaw.

The Ecology Unit

• Comments on the ecological impact of development proposals on behalf of planning departments, and provides advice on safeguarding wildlife on development sites.
• Identifies, surveys and designates Sites of Biological Importance in Greater Manchester.
• Advises other council departments and the general public on wildlife issues.
• Provides specialist ecological advice for, and presentation of evidence at, public inquiries.
• Inputs into the preparation of Local Development Frameworks and other plans and strategies.
• Prepares and helps to implement the Greater Manchester Biodiversity Action Plan.
• Provides advice on national and international legislation and planning guidance relating to wildlife and nature conservation, including protected species.
• Advises on the management of local authority owned land, including the preparation of site management plans.
• Carries out ecological surveys and biodiversity assessments for a range of clients.
• Provides training for local authority staff and others.
• Maintains the Habitat and Species Database for Greater Manchester and carries out searches for ecological information. For data searches see http://www.tameside.gov.uk/ecologysearches

Contact

Greater Manchester Ecology Unit
Ryecroft Hall
Manchester Road
Audenshaw
M34 5ZJ

Tel: 0161 371 8545           Fax: 0161 371 8014

http://www.tameside.gov.uk/ecologyunit

Greater Manchester Geological Unit

 The Geological Unit was set up in 1986 as a joint arrangement between the ten Greater Manchester district authorities to offer advice on all earth science and minerals and waste planning issues.

GMGU provides a range of technical services to AGMA, other local authorities and public bodies under Core and SLA funding.  In addition to the above the Unit also provides associated services to other public bodies and the private sector. The Unit maintains extensive archives of maps, aerial photography and minerals and waste planning applications and has invested in up-to-date equipment and software, including GIS software in order to be able to provide a high quality service.

Technical Advice

The Unit provides technical advice in the following areas:

• Applications for waste management facilities such as recycling, composting, landfills and mineral extraction developments such as extensions to existing quarries
• Strategic planning support for policies relating specifically to minerals and waste issues
• Minerals and waste monitoring and planning enforcement
• Review of scoping reports and Environmental Impact Assessments
• Statutory Mines and Quarries tips inspections
• Ground stability - landslips, abandoned mine workings and shafts
• Landfill gas migration and remediation
• Contamination, source, pathway, target assessment and remediation
• Geological and geotechnical archival research and desk studies
• Geotechnical, mining and contaminated land GIS

 Site-Based Services:

•  Specialist landfill gas and contamination surveys
• Mineral and waste research surveys
• Topographical surveys
• Site assessments of proposed and existing quarries and waste disposal sites

Further Information

Address:     10^th Floor, Emerson House, Albert Street, Eccles, Salford M30 OTE

Contact:      Krista Patrick, Planning Manager

Tel:              0161 604 7747

Email:           krista.patrick@urbanvision.org.uk

The Unit provides specialist Trading Standards facilities and equipment for use by staff of the ten Greater Manchester districts.  In the main this includes:

Local Standards of Weights & Measures

All local authorities are required to maintain standards by which their own staff's equipment, and through them that of all local traders, is calibrated.  These standards also require precision equipment to carry out these comparisons and a controlled and monitored environment to ensure the highest degree of accuracy is achieved.  When the former county council was being abolished it was recognised that considerable cost benefits could be achieved for all the Greater Manchester authorities by continuing to provide these facilities centrally rather than providing them ten times over.

Calibrated High Capacity Test Weights

Five tonnes of calibrated 20kg test weights are maintained together with the necessary vehicles to transport them to sites around the county.  Trading Standards Officers use these weights to verify and test high capacity weighing equipment used by industries in their area. These weights are also available for hire by commercial organisations such as scalemakers and lift engineers to enable them to carry out calibration of equipment following repairs or installation.

High Capacity Wheel Weighers

Ten 10-tonne capacity units are available to enable staff in the districts to carry out highly mobile checks on the weights of vehicles on the roads and to identify those that may be overloaded.  This overloading is both a threat to road safety and a cause of damage to roads, bridges and the services that run beneath them. A large reduction in weighbridges has meant that without this equipment these checks would be impossible on many of the main routes into and through many districts.

Oil Master-Meter

A calibrated mobile meter is made available to enable Trading Standards Officers to carry out checks on the accuracy of the meters on commercial oil tankers operating in their area.  These checks typically follow repairs to this equipment but can also include random inspections.

Water Meters

Two calibrated meters, one high capacity and one domestic rate, are maintained to enable checks to be carried out on a range of trade equipment in use commercially or domestically.

For further information please contact:
Andrew Ashworth, Head of Unit
Hammerstone Road, Gorton,
Manchester, M18 8EQ

Telephone:  0161 234 1555
Fax:            0161 957 8379
E-Mail:       trading_standards@manchester.gov.uk
Website:     www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/manchester

ABOUT GMTU

Greater Manchester Transportation Unit (GMTU) is a specialist local authority unit which provides services for the local authorities of Greater Manchester.

We undertake work in two main ways:

• strategic work in support of the authorities as a whole
• local work commissioned by individual authorities

Our strategic work is focused on support for the Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan (LTP): its preparation, implementation and monitoring. We are actively involved in supporting the joint working of the authorities in most aspects of the LTP, including: walking, cycling, signing, road accident prevention, traffic management, major schemes, smarter choices, air quality, congestion, accessibility.

Our local work is tailored to the needs of the local authorities. For example we,

• design and process surveys for school travel plans
• undertake a large number of traffic (including cycle) and pedestrian counts for monitoring and planning purposes
• undertake transport planning projects for individual development sites.

The unit is managed by:  

John Rice, Greater Manchester Strategic Transport Manager

Tel: 0161 455 2050

E-mail: j.rice@manchester.gov.uk

Website: http://www.gmtu.gov.uk/.

The Greater Manchester Urban Traffic Control Unit (GMUTC) provides a professional high quality traffic signal control service to the ten Greater Manchester district authorities.  GMUTC's role is to provide specialist advice on the design, installation, research and development operation and control and maintenance of the traffic signal network within Greater Manchester.

Further Information

Greater Manchester Urban Traffic Control Unit 
2 Piccadilly Place
MANCHESTER
M1 3BN 

Contact numbers-

General Office: 0161 247 3175

Fault Control Room: 0845 600 1220 

General fax: 0161 228 1530

Email: gmutc@manchester.gov.uk

The Disaster Relief Trust was established in 1979 in response to the Manchester Woolworth's fire tragedy. Its aim was to provide financial support to victims of this fire and other large-scale disasters who were experiencing financial distress, sickness or other disability as a result of the tragedy. Since then, the Trust has provided financial support following the 1985 Manchester Airport disaster and the 1996 Manchester City Centre bombing.
The Trust welcomes applications supported by recognised bodies.  Individual applications for financial support from the trust must be made via a third party who works for a recognised body this may be a social worker or officer from a charity or voluntary organisation.
 
For further information please contact:
Community Foundation for Greater Manchester
5th Floor
Speakers House
39 Deansgate
Manchester
M3 2BA

Tel: 0161 214 0940
Email:enquiries@communityfoundation.co.uk