Residents have spoken out about an issue.

People in Stockport have spoken about ‘chaos’ on their road after the council brought in new charges at a free car park. Bramley Close car park, next to Bramhall railway station, used to be free but since January 8 Stockport council has enforced new charges for drivers to park there.

The fees were brought in as part of the council’s budget in the face of having to make major cuts each year to balance the books.

Charges at Bramley Close start from 50p for an hour up to £2.40 for 10 hours, with charges applied between Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6pm.

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But people living on nearby Bramley Road said more commuters have started parking on their street since the car parking charges came in, adding to congestion.

The road has double yellow lines along one side leaving cars parked together on the other side, and has a large bend in the road, limiting visibility.

It also acts as a cut-through to get across the village, and residents said there are regular problems with speeding. The extra cars parking on the road have added to the issues, locals said, effectively turning the road into a single lane and forcing cars to mount pavements to get past each other.

People living on Bramley Road said cars are being left in the morning from as early as ‘7.30am’ and not moved until 6pm in the evening. Christine Proctor, 85, said: “It’s terrible and very dangerous here. When I’m reversing out of my driveway people come really fast around the bend, you’ve got to be watching.

“I think there are probably more cars now because of the new parking charges at Bramley Close. There’s someone who parks here from seven in the morning until six at night, it makes it hard for people to get a place to park.”

Christine said cars are regularly driving down the road in search of a spot to park, with some drivers speeding. She added: “Someone’s going to get hurt here because of this, and then they’ll do something about it.”

Another resident, 58-year-old Cheryl, is also a long-term resident on the road and said it can be ‘chaos’ at busy times when several cars are trying to pass and all the parking spots are taken.

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Cheryl also explained that the extra cars parked on the road has made it harder for visitors to park nearby. She added: “If they suspended the parking charges at Bramley Close I think it would definitely help.

“This has added stress to our lives, we’re worrying about it, I open the blinds every day and just think ‘oh God’.” Conservative councillor Peter Crossen has urged Lib Dem-led Stockport council to suspend the charges at Bramley Close car park.

He said: “Residents have been warning for years that parking and speeding along Bramley Road is dangerous.

“Introducing charges at the railway station car park has simply displaced even more vehicles into surrounding streets such as Bramley Road and made an already unsafe situation worse.

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“The car park is now underused, while residents are facing increased congestion, blocked driveways and real fears about road safety.

“I back residents’ calls for urgent and immediate action and call on the council to urgently suspend these charges and put proper traffic and parking controls in place before someone is seriously hurt.”

Lib Dem councillor Grace Baynham, Stockport council’s cabinet member with responsibilities including parking, said: “All our council car parks cost money to run, and after successive years of underfunding of local authorities across the country by the Conservative government, it is now harder to subsidise these services using council tax.

“Many councils across the country have had no choice but to introduce extra parking charges to set a balanced budget, which they are required to do every year, and Stockport is no exception.

“With projected savings of £75m needing to be made in the next few years, the situation isn’t going to get any easier.

“The fees have been kept relatively low (50p for the first hour) but this is not a decision we have taken lightly.

“It is a decision that has been through consultation, scrutiny and was approved at full council. The offer is there, for local councillors to work with council officers, to mitigate the impacts of any increases to on-street parking.”

The comedian made the surprise admission during an appearance on The One Show alongside Tyler West and Roman Kemp, former Celebrity Race Across The World stars.

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A BBC icon has revealed a surprising connection to Race Across The World.

Paul Merton disclosed the moment he was unwittingly caught up in the filming of Race Across The World during an appearance on The One Show today.

The comedian joined Strictly Come Dancing star Tyler West and EastEnders’ Vicki Fowler actress Alice Haig on the sofa, alongside presenters Alex Jones and Roman Kemp.

Tyler, who has taken over from Scott Mills on a new Race Across The World podcast, had been discussing this year’s series after taking part in the celebrity version alongside his partner Molly Rainsford, while Roman participated with his sister Harleymoon.

The much-loved BBC competition is now in its sixth season, with five daring teams setting off on the adventure of a lifetime.

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They’re covering more than 12,000km across Italy, Greece, Turkiye, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, trekking from Palermo on the island of Sicily all the way to the remote village of Hatgal on the shores of lake Hövsgöl, in northern Mongolia, reports the Mirror.

With no smartphones, internet access, bank cards and only £26 per person a day, they’ll be tested to their absolute limits in pursuit of the £20,000 prize.

Race Across The World first launched back in 2019, when comedian Paul unknowingly played a part.

Tyler had been speaking about the locals accommodating the contestants on Race Across The World this year, strangers who are offering assistance and free lifts.

Roman then chimed in: “It’s funny you say that, because actually, Paul you know all about the good deeds that people can do and the moments that happen in Race Across The World.”

The BBC programme subsequently broadcast a clip of Paul’s involvement in Race Across The World during the filming of the first series, when two contestants were in Ashford.

He recalled: “This is before the programme went out, two people came running up to me very excitedly and said, ‘We’ve got to get to Paris’.”

He had questioned what they were doing, having spotted the camera crew, but was left puzzled by their response of ‘Racing Across The World’.

Paul admitted: “I had no idea! The programme hadn’t gone out at that point. If I’d known, my cab driver was there, we could have taken them to Dover, and I could’ve been in the whole show! I could’ve ended up in Cairo.”

When Alex jokingly suggested he could’ve taken part in the celebrity version, Paul hinted: “Exactly.”

Elsewhere, reflecting on their experience on the star-studded edition of Race Across The World, Roman disclosed that it took “a lot longer than people think”.

After Tyler quipped that Roman was “the tightest man he’d ever met”, recalling how the former Capital Breakfast radio presenter had been reluctant to dip into their budgeted allowance while filming, Roman added: “You’re constantly worrying about where you’re going to spend money, Tyler and Molly they were in the nightclubs!”

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Tyler replied: “We ate the most amount of food on Race Across The World history!”

Discussing this year’s cast, he continued: “Jo and Kush have captured the nation’s hearts, these Scouse lads, their banter that they have on this journey is so funny, and so relatable, and so many young people can look up to them as well.

“You’ve got Mark and Margo who have come together, this incredible story of in-laws who have come together, you’ve also got Puja and Roshni who are so switched on, and if I could have been that switched on I might have beaten you!

“All the pairs and all the dynamics coming together, it’s what makes the show what it is, it’s an incredible race, you can relate to so many characters as you learn their stories and as the journey unfolds.”

The One Show airs weekdays from 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

Race Across The World airs Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

From prestige period drama stalwarts to BAFTA-winning leads and family-film favourites, these five have all swapped the banks of the Tees and the terraces of the old coalfield for some of the biggest film and TV roles around.

Jeremy Swift

Jeremy Swift was born in Stockton-on-Tees on 27 June 1960, the son of two music teachers, and grew up far from the usual London drama schools and casting circuits.

He eventually trained at the Guildford School of Acting and spent much of the 1980s in experimental and fringe theatre before breaking into screen work.

Swift’s film roles include Robert Altman’s Gosford Park and Roman Polanski’s Oliver Twist, but television made him a familiar face.

Viewers know him best as punctilious butler Septimus Spratt in Downton Abbey and for his scene-stealing turn as PR man Higgins in Ted Lasso, plus a role in Mary Poppins Returns.

Jeremy Swift (Image: NQ)

Alun Armstrong

Alun Armstrong was born Alan Armstrong in Annfield Plain, County Durham, in July 1946, the son of a coal miner, and grew up in a Methodist household where both parents were lay preachers.

A teacher at Consett Grammar School encouraged his early love of Shakespeare, and he later studied fine art at Newcastle University before pursuing acting.

Armstrong became one of Britain’s most respected character actors, moving between stage and screen with ease and building a reputation at the Royal Shakespeare Company and in the West End, where he originated the role of Thernadier in Les Miserables.

On screen, he has appeared in Ken Loach’s Days of Hope, coalfield drama The Stars Look Down, Hollywood hit The Mummy Returns and BBC favourite New Tricks.

Alun Armstrong.

Jamie Bell

Jamie Bell was born Andrew James Matfin Bell in 1986 in Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, into a family of dancers that included his mother, grandmother, aunt and sister.

He famously skipped football training to attend dance classes, an experience that fed directly into his breakthrough role as a working-class ballet-mad schoolboy in Billy Elliot.

That performance earned him the BAFTA for Best Actor, making him one of the award’s youngest winners and instantly propelling him from Teesside to international attention.

Bell has since built a varied film career, with roles in King Kong, The Adventures of Tintin, Snowpiercer, Fantastic Four and Elton John biopic Rocketman.

JAMIE BELL: Arriving for the UK Charity Premiere of Nicholas Nickleby at the Odeon West End,

Simon Farnaby

Simon Farnaby was born on 2 April 1973 in Darlington, County Durham, and grew up in the North East before attending Richmond School in nearby North Yorkshire.

An actor, comedian and writer, he first made his name as part of the Them There collective on CBBC’s Horrible Histories, later co-creating fantasy sitcom Yonderland.

He is now best known to BBC viewers as shameless, trouserless Tory MP Julian Fawcett in hit ghost comedy Ghosts, which he also co-writes.

Simon Farnaby as Julian Fawcett in Ghosts (Image: NQ)

Behind the camera, Farnaby has become a sought-after screenwriter, co-writing beloved family sequel Paddington 2 and penning the screenplay for musical origin story Wonka.

Daniel Casey

Daniel Casey was born on 1 June 1972 in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, and is the son of Yorkshire television journalist and presenter Luke Casey.

Daniel Casey. (Image: Supplied)

Raised in the North East, he joined a youth theatre as a teenager and later studied English literature at Grey College, Durham University, before turning to acting.

After early work on stage and in TV, he became a primetime fixture as DS Gavin Troy, the original sidekick to DCI Tom Barnaby, in ITV’s long-running crime drama Midsomer Murders.

Casey has since popped up in a string of familiar series, including Our Friends in the North, Steel River Blues, Casualty, Coronation Street and EastEnders

The Elton John Experience will arrive at STACK Seaburn in Sunderland on April 30, offering fans a night of high-energy entertainment and a celebration of the musician’s greatest hits. 

Fronted by singer Lee Quinney and his band, the tribute show features songs such as Rocket Man, Your Song and I’m Still Standing will all feature.

The Elton John Experience tribute show will be held at STACK Seaburn in Sunderland, delivering a night of live music celebrating Elton John’s greatest hits (Image: Supplied)

Mr Quinney will also don a selection of the star’s famously flamboyant costumes to complete the experience.

The event begins at 7.45pm, with tickets costing £12.

The event is for adults aged 18 and over.

Visitors can make a night of it by sampling food from STACK Seaburn’s range of street food vendors.

Options include Greek specialities at Acropolis, Asian-inspired bites from Bao Down, burgers and loaded fries from Brack Burger, and traditional fish and chips from Downey’s.

Other choices include Nashville-style fried chicken from Get Strip’d, American barbecue from Texas Smoker, Korean street food from Soju and Gogi, and pizza from Zza Pizzeria.

More information about upcoming events at the venue can be found at www.stackleisure.com.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Kennedy Center’s new leadership wants to prove to critics that the building is damaged beyond simple repair. It’s starting with Congress.

Matt Floca, the performing arts institution’s new executive director and chief operating officer, is leading a series of tours this month that show water damage and intrusion to expansion joints, marble slabs and exterior pavers. Participants are guided through the building’s water and HVAC systems, as well as the parking garages and loading docks that are said to need repairs.

The sessions began earlier this month while Congress was in recess and included staff for a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrats on Capitol Hill. A representative for Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser was also included on the tour.

Similar access has been provided for several corporate and individual donors and in the coming weeks, Floca is expected to provide tours for the lawmakers themselves and members of the media.

Once one of Washington’s relatively few apolitical spaces, the Kennedy Center has become a source of controversy during President Donald Trump’s second term. Shortly after returning to office, Trump ousted the institution’s previous leadership and replaced it with a handpicked board of directors.

The president’s name was added to the building’s facade and its programming took a Trump-friendly turn, serving as a venue for events such as the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary, “Melania.”

Trump’s move to shutter the building for two years starting in July, which was approved by the board last month, has spurred lawsuits and an outcry that the closure is merely a response to plunging sales as artists canceled Kennedy Center performances in droves.

The tours are intended to cut through that and show that the Kennedy Center, which began construction in 1965, is in genuine need of a fundamental update.

“As the July closure approaches, the Trump Kennedy Center is leading with transparency and making sure Congress and the public understand what’s at stake and why the work can’t wait,” Floca said in a statement.

In addition to staff for Schumer, Jeffries, and Bowser, the recent tour included representatives for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Mark Warner, D-Va., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., along with Reps. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and Rick Larsen, D-Wash.

By virtue of their positions, these lawmakers are ex officio members of the Kennedy Center’s board. Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi said working with both parties was a “top priority” as the institution implements Trump’s vision for the renovation.

None of the participants discussed the tour on the record.

Trump has suggested changes at the Kennedy Center could be so dramatic that the steel supporting the structure could be “ fully exposed.”

According to a lawsuit filed last month against Trump, the Kennedy Center and others in the administration, “Demolition, new construction, major reconstruction, major renovation, or major aesthetic transformation of the Kennedy Center would permanently destroy historic fabric, degrade the monumental core’s vistas and public grounds, and compromise the Kennedy Center’s memorial purpose and architectural integrity, causing permanent, irreversible harm that no subsequent remedy can fully undo.”

The Kennedy Center is entering a critical period before its anticipated July closure, which will produce staff reductions.

In the meantime, the Kennedy Center is still hosting shows, including the musical “Chicago,” which Trump attended this month. Performances of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” are on the calendar from June 18 through July 5. Comedian Bill Maher will be presented the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on June 28, just before the closure begins.

The Kennedy Center is part of Trump’s broader effort to leave a lasting imprint on the Washington cityscape. He demolished the East Wing of the White House last year and wants to replace it with a ballroom, an effort that is also tangled in litigation.

The president also unveiled plans on Friday for an arch that would stand between the Lincoln Memorial in the east and Arlington National Cemetery toward the west and within a traffic circle connecting Washington with northern Virginia.

Manchester United’s defeat to Leeds on Monday night should spark a rethink for Michael Carrick ahead of the trip to Chelsea.

After a weekend that saw plenty of Manchester United’s rivals slip up, the expectation was that Michael Carrick’s Reds would push home their healthy advantage in the race for the Champions League. Had they beaten Leeds, United would have been sitting ten points clear of Saturday’s opponents.

Instead, the worst half of football since Ruben Amorim left ensured the gap remains at seven points. There is little to miss about the Amorim era, and it is clear United would not have been comfortably in the top five had he kept his job after the previous clash with Leeds.

However, Carrick may wish to take a leaf out of the Amorim playbook following the defeat to Leeds. Kobbie Mainoo’s absence from the matchday squad was a huge problem for United as soon as the team news came out. Since being revitalised post-Amorim, Mainoo has been undroppable alongside Casemiro.

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The duo know each other so well and have strengthened the core of this team with their superb performances. In his absence, the decision was made to start Manuel Ugarte. Monday was the Uruguayan’s first start under Carrick and eyebrows were raised as to why he was given the nod.

When Ugarte has played, he has been the defensive midfielder, given the task of protecting the back four. With Mainoo absent, United needed Ugarte to be a ball-playing midfielder and that is not his game. The 25-year-old may have been afforded more grace had it not been for a series of poor performances since joining from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024.

Ugarte really struggled throughout the game. His passing was off and he could not cope with the Leeds press.

He hesitated on the ball inside ten minutes leading to jeers from the home fans and from then onwards, Ugarte struggled. Remarkably, the midfielder played the full 90 minutes and Carrick was quick to defend him post-match.

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“Since I’ve come in, and he’s played and come on, he’s been fine,” the interim boss said. “I think tonight was a tough game, not just for Manu.

“It was one of those games when it was a tough night. I actually thought, especially when we went down to 10 men, that he did a lot of covering for other players to be able to attack.”

You would expect nothing more than a staunch defence of Ugarte from Carrick but should Mainoo be out for Chelsea on Saturday night, the Reds must revert to a plan used by Amorim.

Bruno Fernandes played deeper for United earlier this season. The captain may be better suited to an attacking midfield role, but considering the current options, he would look more comfortable alongside Casemiro. The experienced duo could then possibly support a returning Mason Mount to the starting line-up.

United need to be careful with Mount as he returns from injury, but he offers the Reds a stronger option than Ugarte in midfield. Plus, against his old club, the 27-year-old would be eager to make a good impression.

Mount was a favourite of Amorim’s when fit, but he is still waiting to forge a connection with Carrick due to injuries. The Chelsea game is the perfect chance to do just that and re-establish him as an option for United.

A charity shop worker who has volunteered for different organisations shared what it’s really like behind the scenes and how one nightmare situation could impact stores

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Working in a charity shop can be fulfilling yet demanding at times. Volunteers must follow many rules in stores, which involves turning away disrespectful items that are unsuitable for donation.

However, above all else, those working in charity shops are benefiting the environment, with some volunteering while others likely earn wages. Now one individual who has both worked and volunteered across several charity shops revealed what it’s genuinely like. In the social media post, they stated: “Some charity shops treat their volunteers like volunteers – they can come and go as they please and do whatever job they want (obviously within reason), and can say no a lot easier.”

In the Reddit post, they went on: “However, some charity shops have policies that state volunteers should be treated like staff – they have a set time expected to work, they have one job they do, and in some cases, where there is only one staff member, volunteers could have key-holder responsibilities.

“Obviously it depends on the specific charity, and in some cases the manager of the shop, but I would curious to know what other people think especially those that have worked/volunteered in charity shops.”

Numerous people responded to the post sharing their experiences within the charity sector. One acknowledged: “Many organisations wouldn’t survive if they didn’t treat volunteers as staff members.”

Meanwhile, another disclosed: “I ran a charity shop. I had a mix of both. When I took over the shop it was a free for all, turn up when you like and you’ll get given a job but it was a nightmare.

“People had their favourite jobs and would get really annoyed if they turned up and someone else was already doing it. I talked to everyone, worked out what they were happy with and came up with a rota for the till so it was always covered.

“But then the behind the scenes stuff was more relaxed, we had a guy who only wanted to deal with the books so he came in twice a week to sort the deliveries, I didn’t mind when because he was happy to leave us a pile to restock with.

“Same with the clothes deliveries, we had deliveries every day so people who wanted to sort, tag and rotate the rails could come and go as they please but they all knew if they wanted the good stuff when it would be in. I asked them for general availability but it was never strict.”

What’s it like working in charity?

Working in a charity shop can provide a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction. It does, however, present its own difficulties.

It can prove challenging for those earning lower salaries compared to the private sector. Staff members often benefit from flexible working arrangements, strong team spirit, and a collective dedication to a meaningful cause.

Amanda Lyons worked at the Golden Trats beauty salon for seven years.

Steven Lyons’ gangster moll Amanda Lyons has been pictured with rich celebrity clients who dubbed her the ‘Tartan Tart’.

Lyons was make-up artist to TOWIE mega stars James ‘Arg’ Argent and Chloe Simms and can be seen in throwback snaps with the reality TV pair in Marbella in 2012 where she worked as part of the famous Golden Tarts beauty salon.

The 38-year-old worked for Golden Tarts at branches in La Cala de Mijas and Puerto Banus in the Spanish City from 2010 to 2017.

Lyons also provided glam looks to TOWIE’s Gemma Collins and Lydia Bright.

An online beauty account Lyons created in June 2014 reveals her packed client list.

Strictly Come Dancing and Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison can be seen thanking her for make up looks alongside other TOWIE legends Georgia Kousoulou and Jessica Wright.

Lyons later moved to Dubai in 2018 to focus on family life with husband Steven Lyons, 45, after giving birth to her first son in 2016.

The following year, Golden Tarts posted online about Lyons glamming up celebrities in the United Arab Emirates for an OK magazine photo shoot.

Lyons spent a lot of her childhood in Spain after her heroin dealer dad Richard Hayes settled there and became a central figure among Scottish crooks living in the Costa Del Sol.

Hayes operated out of the popular holiday resort of Fuengirola and was dubbed the ‘Godfather’ of Scots criminals in the area by Spanish cops.

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But his criminal enterprise came crashing down when he was nabbed by armed police over a £3.6million cannabis bust in 2007.

Steven Lyons moved to Spain after he was shot in the leg in 2006 and his 21-year-old cousin Michael was killed in a shooting at a garage owned by his family in Glasgow.

He met Amanda shortly afterwards and the pair began dating, but Amanda wasn’t content to just be a gangster’s moll.

A source told the Record Amanda’s glam pals in Spain didn’t think she had anything to do with her husband’s criminal dealings and were stunned at her recent arrest.

She said: “Amanda and Steven come from similar backgrounds and fell quickly in love.

“Amanda wanted her own career and she was working more or less full-time hours at Golden Tarts to make her own cash but when she fell pregnant things changed.

“Her priorities shifted and mixing with celebrities started to mean less to her and her and Steven both wanted more kids.

“They decided to move to Dubai to settle down and Steven left the day-to-day running of his criminal enterprise to his pal Ross Monaghan so he could just oversee things from the desert.

“Everyone thought Amanda was just busy being a mum after that, but she started to get involved in helping Steven in organised crime and a lot of people have been left stunned by that.”

Amanda Lyons has been described as an “active member” of the clan’s criminal operation after she was cuffed at Dubai Airport last month just days after Steven was detained by cops in Bali.

She is now facing years behind bars.

The pair were arrested as part of a two-year joint investigation into the Lyons mob, with ten more of their crew being nicked in Scotland and five in Spain.

Steven Lyons was deported from Indonesia and put on a plane to Amsterdam last week and is being held in the Netherlands on a European Arrest Warrant.

He is now facing extradition to Spain where he is wanted on money laundering charges.

Spanish police branded the Lyons gang “a highly sophisticated criminal organisation characterised by violence” as they made their first official comments since the arrests last week.

Speaking of Amanda Lyons, a spokesperson said: “The partner of the gang leader was arrested at Dubai’s international airport. She is considered to be an active member of the criminal organisation.

“The so-called Lyons Clan is one of the most violent criminal organisations that have originated in Scotland in the last few decades.

“In Spain 18 raids and searches took place last week as part of the police operation, mainly on the Costa del as well as Barcelona.

“Electronic devices, large amounts of cash, company documents, high-end watches and cryptocurrency wallets were seized.

“The investigation was developed over more than three years by the Civil Guard’s Central Operative unit UCO and has been carried out in close co-operation with Police Scotland and coordinated by EUROJUST.”

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NEW YORK (AP) — Convenience chain 7-Eleven expects to close hundreds of its locations this year.

According to earnings filings published last week, 7-Eleven’s North American operator plans to close 645 stores in the 2026 fiscal year — outpacing the 205 locations it forecasts it will open during that same time.

Seven & i Holdings Co., the Japan-based parent of the convenience chain, noted that these closures “include the conversion to wholesale fuel stores.” Financial documents show that 7-Eleven Inc. has steadily opened new wholesale fuel stores in North America over recent years, which accounted for more than 900 locations as of December 2025.

The company did not immediately explain the closures or specify which locations could be impacted. The Associated Press reached out for further information.

According to the company’s website, there are over 86,000 7-Eleven stores across 19 countries today. 7-Eleven Inc., the brand’s North American operator based in Texas, oversees more than 13,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

The convenience giant has closed hundreds of underperforming locations over the years, and the latest cuts arrive as higher prices strain consumers worldwide. The U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran has especially rattled energy markets, with drivers now facing soaring gas prices.

Consumers were facing stubborn inflation even before the war. In North America specifically, Seven & i noted in its April 9 report, “although the economy remained robust, personal consumption also began to soften” for the 2025 fiscal year — “particularly among low-income households, as inflation continued to weigh on spending.”

Openings for Seven & i subsidiaries outside of North America are set to outpace the stores they’re closing — including Seven-Eleven Japan, which expects to close 350 stores and open 550 locations, per financial filings.

Seven & i expects its revenue to fall 9.4% for the current fiscal year, totaling a projected nearly 9.45 trillion yen (about $59.5 billion).

The company has been looking for new opportunities for growth, and last year outlined a wider transformation plan aimed at boosting its convenience store offerings. Among goals, Seven & i has said it would invest in more fresh food offerings and expand its “7NOW” delivery service.

The changes also arrive under new leadership. Stephen Hayes Dacus became Seven & i’s CEO last spring.

“I just restocked my fridge and freezer, for it all to be turned off again”

Residents living in Deansgate’s West Tower have said they are ‘so angry’ after being told the electricity in the plush tower block will go off AGAIN this week.

The plush 44-storey West Tower, which is part of the Renaker development along Deansgate and offers penthouse homes worth over £2m, first suffered a power cut last Wednesday evening (April 8). The electrics went off in the apartments, leaving no hot water and no way to use any facilities in each home. The management team first sought to reassure residents that works were ongoing to rectify the problem, before emails the following day told residents it would likely not be resolved until Monday.

Some residents stayed in budget-friendly hotels over the weekend. The outage left hundreds with the options of either staying in their apartments, which can also rake in anything between £1,400 and £15,000 per month, or moving into hotels with an offer of £120-per night and £40-per-day food reimbursements.

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The plush block is known to be home to several high profile residents – including Premier League footballers and social media influencers. The original email from The Residences also suggested a number of budget hotels residents could consider, including Motel One, Premier Inn or Romzzz Aparthotels which are ‘well within the £120 budget’.

The Manchester Evening News reported last week that the cause of the power outage was identified as a ‘fault with the busbar within the Deansgate Square site’. A busbar acts as a central connection point which conducts and distributes electricity in industrial, commercial and residential systems.

However an update email sent from The Residences to West Tower tenants on Sunday (April 12) it was confirmed that a temporary source of power had been found to restore electricity to apartments. Residents were able to return home one day ahead of schedule, with works ongoing to restore a permanent source of power.

They were also told that work was ongoing to organise reimbursements for food and drink costs incurred during the outage, but also that the cost of itemised items that had spoiled in fridges and freezers would be covered.

Those living in the block have now told the M.E.N they are ‘so angry’ after being informed by the management company that power is due to be turned off for eight hours on Thursday (April 16). This is for the power supply to be fully transferred from the alternative power source back to the original national energy infrastructure.

The planned power outage for all apartments is expected to take place for eight hours between 10am and 6pm, when electricity is expected to be fully restored. Essential parts of the infrastructure, like alarms and lifts, will remain functional.

“I’m so angry having just restocked my fridge and freezer, for it all to be turned off again,” one resident said. “We weren’t told that it would be switched off again and one day of notice is shocking.”

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Residents have been urged to heat water in water boilers before the outage so a sufficient supply lasts. Coworking spaces with power will remain open in communal areas along with hot drinks and shared cooking facilities.

An email sent to those residing in the tower block read: “We are preparing to transfer West Tower’s power supply from the alternative power source back to the national energy infrastructure. To complete these essential works we will need to temporarily switch off electricity to all apartments to complete these works.

“These works are scheduled for Thursday 16th April 2026, with a planned power outage for all apartments between 10:00AM and 6:00PM. Power is estimated to be returned by 6:00PM to all West Tower apartments. During this period, the lifts and life safety systems (fire alarm system, smoke vents, sprinklers) in the building will remain fully operational.

“Please ensure that all electrical and portable appliances, such as hairdryers and straighteners, are unplugged before the outage begins. If you will not be returning to your apartment prior to Thursday please let us know so we can assist in unplugging appliances.

“A member our team may need to enter your apartment towards to the end of the reinstatement works to complete a safety check. Please take this as formal notice that emergency access may be required to any apartment within the building to carry out electrical safety checks.”

It continued: “Thank you for your patience and understanding while we complete these necessary works to restore West Tower back to the national energy infrastructure. We sincerely apologise for the disruption and appreciate your continued cooperation as we work to restore permanent power.”