It has been confirmed this afternoon that Greater Manchester willmove into Tier 3 under the government’s new three tier coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions scheme.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the move a few with a £22 million support package.
Under Tier 3 rules, pubs and bars that do not serve “substantial” meals must close, with betting shops, casinos, bingo halls, adult gaming centres and soft play areas also required to close doors.
Different households will be banned from mixing indoors and outdoors, including in private gardens, and travel in/out the area is also advised against.
Gyms and certain fitness facilities have however been permitted to remain open.
The Tier 3 restrictions for the region will come into force from 00.01am on Friday 23rd October.
BREAKING: Greater Manchester will enter Tier 3 #coronavirus restrictions, Boris Johnson has confirmed.
The prime minister says the lockdown will come into force at midnight on Thursday.
With some confusion then arising surrounding the support package, Mr Johnson was asked in a follow-up question if he’s only offering £22m to Greater Manchester and retracting the tens of millions more reportedly offered? He says he regrets having to impose restrictions on people, but he has to look at the data and it shows “I have to act”.
The £22m is “additional to other support – we’re always happy to consider that”, he clarifies, without explicitly saying if he’s offering more or not, and further stated that “we wanted a deal” and “that was the best way forward”.
On the question of exactly how much money the region will get, he says he’s described “some of the funds already on the table”, but that “other discussions undoubtedly will continue”.
Mr Johnson closed out the press conference emphasising that “we’re walking a narrow path” to avoid a second national lockdown, but on a final note of hope, he says universities have “done a great job” of getting the virus under control.
He added: “The R is currently above 1 but it’s not that much above 1.
“If we all follow the guidance together… then I’ve no doubt that we can drive it down particularly in those badly affected areas.”
Greater Manchester now joins the Liverpool City Region under Tier 3 restrictions and the neighbouring county of Lancashire, which was also recategorised from Tier 2 to Tier 3 last Friday.
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Greater Manchester’s Tier 3 Saga: A Breakdown
This afternoon’s official announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson that Greater Manchester is to enter Tier 3 restrictions concludes a lengthy saga surrounding the categorisation of the region, as local leaders have refused to accept Tier 3 status without improved financial support.
Yet another meeting earlier this week ended in a deadlock, with the government imposing a deadline on the region to strike a deal by midday on Tuesday.
According to Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, last-gasp discussions to settle a deal broke down this afternoon.
Andy Burnham has repeatedly pushed back the government’s attempts to turn GM into a Tier 3 regionwithout “adequate support”
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham addressed the people of Greater Manchester live just prior to the Prime Minister’s announcement, where he attacked the government for refusing to offer an extra £5 million in support to help the region through Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions.
He said the government “walked away” from negotiations about financial support, after refusing to offer enough money to “prevent a winter of real hardship” for the people of Greater Manchester.
He also emphasised that: “We took this stand for you. We will carry on fighting for you. We will carry on putting your health first, but health is more than the virus. We will support people’s health in the broadest possible sense.
“So tough days lay ahead [but] please, everybody, observe the law at all times and follow the public health advice.
“Above all else, please look out for each other, as I know you will.”
Entrance to Manchester Piccadilly Station – Gerald England / Geograph
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had previously warned that he would need to “intervene” if an agreement wasn’t reached, claiming tighter measures were needed to improve the “deteriorating” health situation in Manchester.
Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese have previously accused the government of using “selective” data to “raise public concern”, claiming that ICU’s in Manchester were not currently overwhelmed.
Last week, senior cabinet members Dominic Raab and Matt Hancock both made public appeals for Greater Manchester to work alongside the government to find a solution, with Raab accusing Burnham of holding ministers “over a barrel”.
Burnham maintained that getting a “fairer” deal was “about more than just Greater Manchester” – claiming many more regions would need better deals whenever they were upgraded to Tier 3; a development he considered “likely” ahead of winter.
Now, after much verbal sparring, it has been confirmed that Greater Manchester will be placed under the tightest restrictions as part of the ‘very high’ alert level.
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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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Hundreds of new homes in Mayfield Park given green light
Daisy Jackson
The chance to live in Manchester city centre’s newest park (and one of its only green spaces) has taken a step closer, with plans for new Mayfield Park homes given the green light.
879 apartments have been approved this week, which will have ‘the ultimate front garden’.
The Mayfield district has been undergoing major changes in the last few years, including the redevelopment of Depot Mayfield (into Freight Island, plus a music venue for events like Warehouse Project) and the opening of the beautiful Mayfield Park.
And now hundreds of new one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes will be added to the area, as well as a 40% increase in the size of the park.
The plans for the first homes at Mayfield Park were met with unanimous approval by the City Council’s Planning Committee.
The residences will span across four buildings, with low-rise elements peppered in amongst the taller blocks, and will also be home to restaurants, cafes, and health and wellness facilities.
A new tree-lined road through the development will enhance walking and cycling connectivity from east Manchester into the city centre.
More than 880 jobs will be generated during the construction phase, plus 120 full-time jobs when operational.
Hundreds of new homes in Mayfield Park given green light. Credit: Assembly Studios
The proposals suggest that the apartments will contribute £2 million annually in Council Tax and a major £10 million boost to local businesses through increased spending.
The high-quality homes are designed by Studio Egret West and shedkm, designed to reflect the industrial heritage of the area, including distinctive arches.
20% of the first phase of homes are intended to be classed as affordable housing and will be prioritised for key workers in Manchester.
Henrietta Nowne, Development Director at Landsec, representing The Mayfield Partnership, said: “For the first time, Mancunians will have the ultimate back garden within the award-winning Mayfield Park.
“An opportunity like this hasn’t existed before in Manchester. Since starting on site earlier this month, there’s real momentum building as we continue to grow a green, healthy and connected district in the heart of Manchester.”
The approval marks the next chapter of the continued transformation of the Mayfield district near Piccadilly Station, led by Manchester City Council, TfGM, London Continental Railways (LCR), and Landsec.
Revenue from Manchester’s ‘big gigs’ to go towards supporting local grassroots music venues
Emily Sergeant
Manchester City Council is set to earmark almost £250,000 to support grassroots music venues in the city.
Following on from the success of the city’s huge summer of music, which in recent weeks has seen hundreds of thousands of fans converge in the city to see massive names like Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Charlie XCX, Elbow, and Robbie Williams, as well as other talents like Fontaines D.C. and Sam Fender still yet to come.
Oh yeah, and there was also that small matter of Oasis reuniting for five nostalgia-drenched gigs in Manchester’s Heaton Park earlier last month.
Over the course of the summer, it has been estimated that Manchester will have attracted a whopping 1.3 million music tourists, which is being described as a ‘tremendous’ boost for the city’s economy as a whole, especially the hospitality industry.
Revenue made from Manchester’s ‘big gigs’ this summer is to go towards supporting local grassroots music venues / Credit: Eldhose Kuriyan | Joshua Hanson (via Unsplash)
These huge events are also generating income for the Council too, either by being hosted in the city’s largest parks with commercial arrangements for their use, or through the business rates paid by major venues – and it’s this income that has been earmarked to go towards supporting grassroots music venues throughout the city.
As well as reinvesting part of this revenue into parks and greenspaces, the Council is planning to set aside £245,000 to be made available in financial support for Manchester’s grassroots venues.
While exact details are in the process of being finalised, the intention is that the scheme will be administered by the Music Venue Trust to ensure that the money gets to where it is needed as ‘quickly and effectively’ as possible.
It’s estimated that Manchester will have welcomed 1.3 million music tourists before summer’s out / Credit: Nathan Mullet (via Unsplash)
“Manchester is a big noise in the music world,” commented Councillor Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council, “and this summer, all eyes have been on the city as we’ve hosted some huge concerts and seen unprecedented success in our large venues.
“But while the biggest gigs might dominate the headlines, we know they are only possible because they are part of a wider ecosystem, with grassroots venues providing the launchpads for acts to develop and grow.
It's been a BIG summer of music in Manchester.
We've got pioneering plans to use money raised by some of the biggest gigs to support our grassroots venues – a vital ingredient of the city's amazing music scene: https://t.co/8ekQN7AmGBpic.twitter.com/MpVWpeHqbk
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 31, 2025
“We know that across the country, grassroots venues are struggling. That’s why we want to ensure that our grassroots venues can share some of the benefit from the success of those big events.
“We’re blessed in Manchester with an array of great smaller venues.
The Manc -
20th October 2020 
