City News in 250 words: 12 March Friday

TRAFFORD COUNCIL APPROVES TESCO PLANNING APPLICATION. The supermarket giant will plough £21b into redeveloping the LCCC, returning the grounds to international status. Plans include a 94,000 sq ft Tesco. Click here to read the full article. According to the Council, 947 letters were received in support of the proposals, which compares with 263 objections. Subject to formal approval by Government Office North West, construction is due to start in autumn.

INVESTMENT BOOST FOR CITY STADIUM AND EAST MANCHESTER: a joint development board has been formed between Manchester City Council, New East Manchester and City FC with ambitious improvement plans- including a massive sport and leisure complex. This may amount to up to £1bn worth of investment and potentially result in actions like City moving its training grounds back to the city.

FYLDE COUNCIL GIVES TRAVELLERS POSTCODES: Poulton residents are furious after an injunction granted postcodes to seventy travellers who have set up thirty caravans since last November, allowing them access to utilities including cess pools, fences and driveways. Villagers have criticised that this paved the way to travellers claiming thousands of pounds in benefits.

TEN-YEAR BULLYING CAMPAIGN DROVE ELDERLY MAN TO HIS DEATH: David Askew, sixty-two of Hattersley, collapsed and died after confronting yobs who had been tormenting him for money and cigarettes for over a decade. Police were called on the day but found Mr Askew dead with the youths having disappeared. Locals criticised the GMP for 'putting their ears in the back garden' despite ten calls over the last year to report similar incidents.

Jonathan Schofield's Friday wisdom: Celebrities who can't read, fill their time with getting aimless tattoos