The Stay At Home Order is officially lifted in England on March 29 as the country takes another big step towards exiting lockdown restrictions.
Following the reopening of schools earlier this month, the next stage of the Government’s roadmap out of national lockdown will proceed as planned from Monday – with a further set of measures being “irreversibly” removed.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had previously warned that the impact of a third wave of COVID-19 infections being seen in Europe would “wash up on our shores” in due course, but emphasised that England would nonetheless “bash on with the roadmap set out”.
Over the weekend, the PM confirmed that lockdown easing indeed remained on schedule, stating: “And as things stand, I can see absolutely nothing in the data to dissuade me from continuing along our roadmap to freedom, unlocking our economy and getting back to the life we love.”
The changes being made on March 29 allow for more social contact, the return of some outdoor sport, and slightly more freedom in terms of travel.
The ‘Rule of Six’ returns – This means you’re allowed to meet up in groups of six, or two households, anywhere outdoors, but no meeting inside homes is permitted.
Outdoor sports facilities such as tennis and basketball courts, and open-air swimming pools, can reopen.
Organised outdoor sports for children and adults are permitted.
Outdoor parent and child groups, with a maximum of 15 parents, can take place.
The “Stay at Home” rule will be removed from March 29.
However, people should continue to work from home where they can and minimise the number of journeys they make where possible, avoiding travel at the busiest times and routes.
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Travel abroad is still prohibited.
When will more restrictions be lifted?
If the data allows it, further restrictions will be eased on April 12 as part of ‘Step Two’ of lifting England’s lockdown.
This will see the reopening of non-essential retail, gyms, hairdressers, nail salons, libraries and museums – as well as outdoor hospitality and self-catered accommodation.
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Under current plans, further restrictions are then set to be lifted on May 17 – including the resumption of service for the indoor hospitality sector.
The final step of the roadmap commences on June 21, with a view to lifting all lockdown measures by this date.
You can view the Government’s full roadmap to exiting lockdown online.
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‘Prolific’ South Manchester burglar jailed for thefts which included peanuts…
Daisy Jackson
A ‘prolific’ burglar has been jailed for just over two years, for numerous thefts including sunglasses, airpods, and peanuts…
The man was caught red-handed inside someone’s property, where he claimed he was just wanting a glass of water – but was found by police officers to have the resident’s car keys in his pocket.
Fazal Alnesi, 26, from Moss Side, was then linked to a number of other burglaries, attempted burglaries, and thefts across South Manchester.
Fazal was sentenced to 27 months at Manchester Crown Court last week after pleading guilty to offences including six counts of burglary in June of this year.
He was arrested on 12 June, when a man returned to his home in Fallowfield in the early hours of the morning and discovered Fazal inside his address.
He claimed he was there because he wanted a glass of water but subsequently refused to leave, which led to police being called.
Officers placed Alnensi in handcuffs and found the resident’s car keys in his pocket, as well as indications that he’d been rummaging through the man’s drawers.
He was later linked to other thefts include a wrench set from a car, a pedal cycle worth £350, airpods, sunglasses – and even peanuts from one address.
He additionally took an electric bike charger from one address worth hundreds of pounds.
PC Jon Holden, from GMP’s City of Manchester district, said: “Alnensi took various items from several homes and cars across a two-week period earlier this year, making off with hundreds of pounds worth of goods.
“Ultimately, Alnensi left people feeling unsafe in his own home, and I am glad he is now behind bars.
“Our team will investigate all burglaries, and I would encourage people to get in touch with us – all intelligence helps us lock up criminals and bring them to justice.”
The top 10 ‘happiest’ places to live in the North West in 2026 have been named
Emily Sergeant
The top 10 happiest places to live in the North West have been named for 2026.
It comes as Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index this week, just as it has done for the last 14 years now, exploring exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlighting the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year – with thousands of residents across more than 200 locations providing feedback.
The residents told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community, from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlined the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
So, when it comes to the North West as a whole then, where do we have in the top 10?
Well, to kick things off, you may have already seen that one Lancashire market town has earned its place in the top 10 nationwide, not just for the North West region – and that’s Chorley.
Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley – which is is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.
But aside from the national top 10, when it comes to the regional top 10, the next two towns following Chorley in second and third are both in Greater Manchester.
The North West’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026
Chorley
Stockport
Altrincham
Chester
Macclesfield
Southport
Kendal
Wirral
Northwich
Carlisle
Altrincham has been named one of the North West’s happiest places to live / Credit: The Manc Group
The ever-thriving Stockport comes in at number two, followed by Trafford favourite Altrincham directly behind it at number three.
Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.
Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.
“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”
Featured Image – Roger Kidd (via Wikimedia Commons)
The Manc -
22nd March 2021 
