Plans to increase council tax across Greater Manchester to fund “continued improvements in policing” have been approved.
It comes after the Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel – which is made up of elected representatives from across all 10 of Greater Manchester’s local Councils, as well as independent members – met earlier this week (Tuesday 30 January) to vote on Mayor Andy Burnham‘s proposal to increase the police precept for 2024/25.
The Panel’s role is to “scrutinise” the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor, who both have Police and Crime Commissioner responsibilities – including setting the police precept, which is the part of council tax which funds police.
The decision to hike council tax was “unanimously agreed” on by the Panel.
Today the Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Crime Panel approved @MayorofGM's proposal to fund continued improvements in policing with an increase in the police precept for 2024/25.
— Greater Manchester Combined Authority (@greatermcr) January 30, 2024
This means that the precept will increase by 84p per month for a Band B property, or £1.08 per month for a Band D property.
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When looking at the increases annually, for example, the police precept for a Band D property will increase by £13, from £243.30 to £256.30, next year, and then for a Band B property, it will go up by £10.11, from £189.23 to £199.34.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) insists that, even with this agreed increase for 2024/25, the Greater Manchester police precept will still remain “one of the lowest” in England.
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The increase to the police precept will look to make sure that all the recent improvements in Greater Manchester Police (GMP) continue, GMCA added.
Council tax is to increase across Greater Manchester after proposals were approved / Credit: GMCA | Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
Greater Manchester residents will be contributing to the funding of things like a further 30 police officers into frontline policing roles in 2024/25, and improvements to response times for emergency and non-emergency incidents with the increase to their council tax.
Continued investment in neighbourhood policing and crime prevention teams to further reduce neighbourhood crimes is also included.
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On top of this, the police precept increase will also fund increased capacity to prosecute offenders, with a particular focus on increasing arrests for sex offenders, and ensuring justice for any vulnerable victims.
Greater Manchester residents will help to fund ‘improvements in policing’ / Credit: GMP
Overall, GMCA says the increase will fund “continued progress to the fastest-improving police force in the country”.
Speaking following the Panel’s approval of his proposals this week, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said: “The Government’s decision to cut police funding in real terms for 2024/25 has forced us into a difficult decision at the local level.
“We are proud of the progress that GMP has made in recent years, and are simply not prepared to put this at risk by leaving the force with large a gap in its budget for the coming year.
“We are grateful to the cross-party Police, Crime and Fire Panel for unanimously supporting our decision and will make sure that, in the coming 12 months, GMP continues to deliver real results for our residents.”
Featured Image – gov.uk
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Tickets go live as opening date is announced for Manchester City’s new ‘immersive’ museum experience
Emily Sergeant
Tickets to visit Manchester City’s new ‘immersive’ museum experience have officially gone live ahead of the grand opening.
Set to open in the heart of the £300m Medlock Square entertainment district at Manchester’s Etihad Campus next month, the Manchester City Museum Experience will be spread across 10 distinctive spaces – with visitors invited to take a trip down memory lane with nostalgic environments from throughout the club’s history.
Fans will also be able to take part in interactive media experiences, like posing with all 48 major trophies won by the club’s first teams or trying their hand at football punditry.
The experience will combine the latest immersive technology with physical memorabilia drawn from across the club’s history to do this.
Hidden details and surprising ‘did you know’ facts are set to be embedded across the experience, so that even the most devoted Man City fans will have the chance to discover something new about the club they love.
By combining interactive environments, technology, and authentic artefacts, the experience is aiming to appeal to a wide audience – from lifelong Manchester City supporters, to families and those with a broader interest in football, culture, and the city of Manchester.
“The Museum Experience has been designed as a destination that goes beyond just the pitch,” commented Jeremy Maxton, who is the Director of Visitor Attractions at Manchester City Football Club.
Manchester City releases CGIs and important details of its new ‘immersive’ museum / Credit: Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
“Whether you’re a lifelong supporter, visiting Manchester for a weekend, or simply looking for a unique day out, we’ve created an experience that offers something for everyone.
“From the recreated environments and original memorabilia to the interactive elements, there are different ways into the Club’s history throughout the Museum.
“We’ve also built in space for new stories to be added over time, so the experience can continue to evolve. It’s been a huge project to bring together and we’re looking forward to people seeing it for themselves later this year.”
The Manchester City Museum Experience officially opens on 14 December, and you can now book tickets to visit from that date here.
Featured Image – Credit: Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
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TfGM apologises after two weeks of major tram disruption across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Trams have finally resumed running in Greater Manchester following two weeks of major disruption across the Metrolink network.
Tram services have resumed across the Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Park lines this morning (Monday 2 November) following the completion of major track replacement work between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield, while maintenance and renewal work also took place on the Eccles line and in the city centre during the planned closure.
Engineers replaced around 4km of track on what is said to be one of the ‘busiest and most complex’ sections of the Metrolink network.
The new track will allow further speed restrictions to be lifted, as according to TfGM, around 100,000 journeys are already benefiting from journey time improvements delivered through previous phases of work every day.
It all forms part of the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network in a bid to make it ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come.
✅ This morning, tram services have resumed on the Altrincham, East Didsbury, Eccles, Manchester Airport and Trafford Park lines.
We thank customers for their patience and understanding while these works took place.
↪️ A small service change remains in place through the city centre until the end of service on Wednesday 4 November.
Until then, trams on the Bury – Altrincham, and Victoria – Manchester Airport lines will divert via Exchange Square. Customers may need to change trams to reach Shudehill or Market Street.
👉 Find out more: https://t.co/Vm08ZEDUq4
With services now back up and running, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has issued a statement apologising for disruption.
Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM, commented: “This was an essential piece of engineering work on one of the busiest parts of our tram network and will help keep services safe, reliable and fit for the future.
“We’re sorry for the disruption and I’d like to thank passengers, residents, and businesses for their patience while we got on with the job.
“The upgrades mean customers will benefit from smoother journeys and allow us to lift further speed restrictions on this section of the network. It will help speed up our journeys and improve reliability for everyone who uses our network.
“Completing work of this scale on time is a significant achievement and I’d like to thank everyone involved for getting it done safely and efficiently.”
Emily Sergeant -
1st February 2024 
