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Cllr Martin Pagel

The area was awarded first place in the Urban Community category beating rivals from all over the North West.

Councillor Martin Pagel, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said: "I am delighted by this news. It has been wonderful to see local communities working together to transform their local neighbourhoods. We were always confident that Manchester's entries were impressive."

Ivy Worswick of the Blackley Residents Association was one of the main organisers of the Blackley in Bloom initiative.

Following the announcement she said: "We are so proud to have won this award. We have worked hard as a community to create a space where people stop and chat and spend time together.

"We've filled the area with colour - you wouldn't recognise it as the same place many people used to go out of their way to avoid. We are all getting to know our neighbours again."