Manchester City Council has not made any bids for funding for the “Eco-Neighbourhoods” programme since September 2014. They spent just £9,500 pounds  on 5 events between December 2014 and March 2015.  They asked for no progress reports or cost-benefit analysis for that funding (see below for details).  Despite the council’s logo appearing on a “prospectus” for Eco-Neighbourhoods published in on Pravda, sorry “Platform” in  November 2015, it has offered no more support.

Over a year ago we revealed that, extraordinarily,  the Eco-Neighbourhoods programme had been denied money from the Council’s very own “Clean and Green Fund.”

So glad to see that Manchester City Council thinks engaging the citizens of Manchester in carbon reductions and preparations for a warmer world is not just done via brief glib one-off events, but is actually something the Council both gives a damn about and also actually does something about. I mean, the alternative would be unthinkable…. #sarcasm.

Replies to the Freedom of Information Act request (this one arrived without me having to go to the Information Commissioner, or get my local councillors on the case.)

a) Since September 2014, what bids have been made by Manchester City
Council  to fund the Eco-Neighbourhoods Programme, including the
organisation bid to, the date it was bid, and the amount of money that was
asked for in the bid and – of course – the outcome of the bid.
Manchester City Council has not bid for funding for the Eco Neighbourhoods
Programme. The Eco Neighbourhoods programme is delivered by the Green Leaders, a
partnership of local third sector organisations.

b) Funding of its own that the Council has devoted to the
Eco-Neighbourhoods Programme
MCC provided initial funds of £9,500 to Groundwork to deliver Eco
Neighbourhood events from December 2014 to March 2015.

c) The total amount of council funds spent on the Eco-Neighbourhoods
programme, including the five pilot in early 2015.
£9,500

d) Any progress reports/cost-benefit analysis reports that have been
produced about the value for money/effectiveness of the Eco-Neighbourhoods
programme to date.
No reports have been produced.