Local leaders are continuing to fight for Greater Manchester’s “strong case” to exit Tier 3 when the UK government reconsiders its restrictions system this Wednesday.
All ten Greater Manchester boroughs were placed straight into Tier 3 measures on 2nd December, which left many local premises having to close doors beyond the end of the national lockdown, but case numbers and infection rates have continued to plummet across the region in recent weeks.
Both Mayor Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese said they will be “pressing very hard” for a reduction to Tier 2 measures this week.
Mr Burnham said: “We have been in restrictions coming up for five months and I think we are looking to the government to give us a bit of hope and reward the good people of Greater Manchester who have followed the restrictions.”
Mr Leese added that the “significant decline” in cases reflected that the region was ready to have the toughest measures removed.
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Sacha Lord – Night Time Economy Advisor for Greater Manchester – also hailed this week as “absolutely significant” for the hospitality sector, and joined newly-formed campaign group UnitedCity in calling on the government to review tier restrictions on a weekly basis.
For Hospitality, the week ahead is absolutely significant.
Having done everything that @MattHancock has asked of us and the North being under tighter restrictions than the rest of the country, we now get to see if the Government really are committed to "levelling up."
The discussion around the decline in Greater Manchester case numbers comes as a number of major media outlets are projecting this afternoon that London is likely to move up into Tier 3 restrictions this week – with discussion between MPs and local leaders currently taking place – in order to contain surging cases in the capital.
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Officials said to be “deeply concerned” about a sharp rise.
Sadiq Khan – Mayor of London – said it was possible that an announcement could be made today on moving the capital into Tier 3 earlier than expected, due to the fact that “we have seen over the last few days a big increase in the virus”.
He told Sky News: “My understanding is that Covid-O is meeting as we speak… [and] we will have to wait and see what the government decides,
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“It’s a government decision, not my decision or London leaders’ decision.”
Mayor of London @SadiqKhan says “it is possible” it could be announced today that London will be put into Tier 3 and if the government does change "the rules, we’ve got follow the rules”.
Council leaders in London are understood to be alarmed at the projected rise in cases across the region, with some even pushing for a “tier three plus” regime, which would see tougher restrictions than tier three on its own introduced.
Some areas in and around London have recorded large increases in confirmed coronavirus cases over the past week alone.
According to the latest data, Epping Forest – which straddles London and Essex – has recorded a 71% increase in cases during the most recent seven-day period, and Havering in East London has seen a 48.5% rise, with a rolling rate of 470.8 confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents.
Essex may also be moved up to tier three, which would mean that mixing with other households anywhere indoors is banned, people advised against travelling to other areas, and sports fans excluded from events.
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No official decisions regarding tiered restriction reviews have yet been announced.
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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Weather warnings issued with parts of Greater Manchester set to be battered by torrential rain
Emily Sergeant
Large parts of Greater Manchester are set to be battered with heavy rain and strong winds this weekend.
Summer couldn’t be a thing of the past more if it tried, at least not for the North anyway, as the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for a parts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland – with Greater Manchester very much included in the mix, and set to see some pretty grim conditions over the coming days.
According to the Met Office‘, unsettled conditions ‘will prevail’ for many with heavy rain and strong winds over the weekend, and even a risk of thunderstorms too.
The yellow weather warning – which covers most of Greater Manchester, primarily the more northern boroughs – comes into place from 9am on Saturday (20 September) and will officially end at 6am on Sunday (21 September).
Weather forecasters are warning local residents to take care when the rough conditions hit.
“20-40 mm of rain is expected to fall widely, with some locations perhaps seeing 60-100 mm, with much of this total falling in just a few hours,” explained Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Tom Crabtree.
“From mid-Saturday onwards, increasingly strong gusty winds and perhaps some thunder will also accompany the rainfall, further increasing the risk of disruption.”
He also added that strong winds are ‘likely’.
“These may potentially exceed 55 miles per hour, however the exact location and timing remain uncertain at this time [so] we’re closely monitoring developments and may issue more warnings as the situation evolves.”
The Met Office says it’s important for people to stay up to date with its forecasts over the coming days, and situations can often change.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Two Trafford towns are set to see dozens of new EV charging points installed imminently
Danny Jones
Two big towns on the border of Greater Manchester and Cheshire are set to see a fresh batch of electric vehicle (EV) charging points installed throughout their streets by Trafford Council very soon.
Local authorities have teamed up with engineering and infrastructure company Amey to roll out a series of new EV charging stations across Trafford, starting with Altrincham and Hale.
Dating all the way back to 2020, the collaboration with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the brand was tasked with helping improve sustainable travel across the area as the government body’s electric vehicle charging suppliers.
Steady improvements have been made across the 10 boroughs, but this particular update marks one of the biggest network upgrades that the likes of Alty and Hale have seen for some time.
Good news – we are thrilled to announce the installation of our first public EV charge points in collaboration with @TraffordCouncil.
Issuing a statement on Wednesday, 17 September, the firm – which specialises in managing, designing and maintaining complex facilities and transport infrastructure across the country – announced that they will “start the installation of EV charging points in Trafford in the coming weeks.”
It is expected that “up to 100 new public charges” will be integrated throughout the respective town centres and residential streets as the suburbs continues to push towards its sustainability goals.
As per Altrincham Today, Amey account director Anna Gornall said: “We’re excited to launch our first EV charge points in Trafford, working in partnership with Trafford Council (TC) to make electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities.
“As the UK’s leading provider of energy transition and decarbonisation solutions, we’re well placed to use our existing expertise and resources to support TC in delivering a holistic public EV charging network for local communities.
“We’re helping residents make the switch, so everyone can plug in and power a greener Trafford.”
The country at large has various carbon-free initiatives, including the aspiration of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; the electoral ward of Trafford itself continues to thrive in this field, having recently won environmental accolades, including 12 ‘Green Flag Awards’ this past July.
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Peter Anderson, Managing Director of Transport Infrastructure at Amey, commented: “This is a pivotal moment in Amey’s energy transition strategy. By leveraging our extensive experience in whole lifecycle asset management, strong partnerships, and innovative solutions, we can deliver value for both our clients and members of the public who will use Amey’s electric vehicle charge points.
“Working with Trafford Council, we are making electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities and helping residents make the switch to EVs.
“Amey is well-positioned to support emerging opportunities within this landscape, and we are delighted to be working with Trafford and other local authorities to provide the public EV infrastructure needed to achieve the government’s transition to net zero.”
As for Trafford Council, Corporate Director of Place, Richard Roe, went on to add: “We are delighted to be working with Amey on this project to bring more and better charging options to the people of Trafford.
“This is an extension to the current EV charging options in the borough and is great news for committed EV owners and those who are thinking about going electric.”
The Manc -
14th December 2020 
