Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed his roadmap to exiting lockdown on Monday – the big plan to finally guide England out of restrictions and back towards something like ordinary life.
Speculation in the days prior to the speech on 22 February had been rife, with the PM confirming he wanted this to be the final time the country required a lockdown.
Unveiling his roadmap, Johnson revealed there would be four steps involved – with different sectors opening at various stages from now until June.
Johnson acknowledged that whilst the UK would “not eradicate this disease” permanently, the rapid rollout of the vaccine means that the nation is “travelling on a one-way road to freedom”.
The PM’s regular COVID press conference flankers Professor Christ Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance were also cautiously optimistic when reflecting on the roadmap, but admitted it did involve a degree of risk.
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Under the current plan, masks, social distancing measures and all COVID legislature could be completely lifted by June 21 – but Vallance did warn these measures may need to come back in winter if cases rise again.
Nonetheless, if the strategy succeeds, England will be free of restrictions within 17 weeks.
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Here’s what that full roadmap looks like.
Yesterday I set out our four-step roadmap to ease restrictions across England and provide a route back to a more normal way of life.
On Monday 8th March, schools and colleges across England will reopen, and teaching in classrooms can start again.
Meeting with a friend for coffee is permitted from March 8 – Image: Karen Cantú Q via Unsplash
The first changes to COVID rules will commence from March 8.
From this date, all children and students will return to face-to-face education in schools and college.
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March 8 will also offer more social freedoms – with people permitted to visit one other person for socialising, not just exercise.
Care home residents in England will also be allowed one regular visitor from March 8.
Restrictions on meeting others will be relaxed further in time for the Easter break.
From March 29, six people or two separate households/families will be allowed to meet in private gardens or outdoors.
Outdoor sports facilities, such as tennis and basketball courts, may also reopen from March 29.
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The official Stay at Home Order will end on this date – although many lockdown restrictions will remain in force.
People will still be encouraged to work from home where possible, with the vast majority of overseas travel banned.
Step 2 – April 12
Beer gardens will reopen on April 12 / Image: ELEVATE via Pexels
The second step is a big one for many businesses.
April 12 is the date where a wide variety of sectors will be allowed to reopen their doors, including shops, hairdressers, barbers, gyms, animal centres, and accommodation centres.
Pubs will also be permitted to serve people in outdoor settings.
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The list of places able to reopen from April 12 (at the earliest) include:
Non-essential retail, such as shops.
Personal care premises, such as hairdressers and nail salons.
Public buildings, such as libraries and community centres.
Most outdoor attractions and settings, including zoos, and theme parks.
Drive-in cinemas and drive-in performances.
Indoor leisure facilities, such as gyms and swimming pools.
Hospitality venues can serve customers outdoors only for table service. Regulations around substantial meals and curfews have been abolished.
Self-contained accommodation, such as holiday lets.
Funerals can continue with up to 30 people.
Weddings, receptions and wake attendance limits will rise to 15 (from 6)..
Step 3 – May 17
International travel could be allowed by May / Image: Pixabay
Step three is the point at which most social contact rules will be lifted in outdoor settings.
Gatherings with more than 30 people, however, will remain illegal.
This is also the date when indoor pubs can reopen, with spectators returning to live events.
International travel – including holidays – may also be allowed from this point, subject to review.
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The full list of places reopening on this date is as follows:
Cinemas, soft play areas, and the rest of the accommodation sector including hotels and B&Bs.
Indoor adult group sports and exercise classes classes can resume.
Larger performances and sporting events in indoor venues with a capacity of 1,000 people or half-full (whichever is lower) will also be allowed.
Performances will be permitted in outdoor venues with a capacity of 4,000 people or half-full (whichever is lower).
In the largest outdoor seated venues where crowds can spread out, up to 10,000 people will be able to attend (or a quarter-full, whichever is lower).
Weddings, receptions, wakes, funerals attendance limits will be 30 people.
Step 4 – June 21
Nightclubs are set to reopen on June 21 after being closed for over a year / Image: Harrison Haines / Pexels
This is the date that “all legal limits on social contact can be removed.”
On this date, all remaining venues will reopen.
This includes nightclubs – which will have been shut for 15 months by the time they are allowed to welcome back customers again.
All restrictions on performances and events will also be removed on June 21.
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Social distancing measures may be removed from this date.
BREAKING: The 4 steps to lifting lockdown in England.
There will be weeks between each step: 4 weeks to reflect on the data followed by 1 week notice to be given to relevant sectors and the public. pic.twitter.com/7RTql0pV7S
This Manchester suburb has just been named one of the UK’s ‘happiest’ places to live in 2024
Thomas Melia
An annual poll has named the Manchester suburb of Didsbury spot among 70 locations said to be the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.
Greater Manchester has got lots to say for itself, especially with its diverse and unique cultural landscapes, as well as various vibrant communities, so it comes as no surprise that one of our beautiful suburbs has been voted in a list of the UK’s happiest places to live for this year.
The survey included submissions from 5,000 people and there’s a lot of love being shown to the neighbouring areas of Yorkshire like Doncaster, Bingley, and Harrogate – the lattermost placed in second in the entire country.
But, ranking 62nd out of a possible 70 places, the distinct and vibrant area of Didsbury has been noticed by Furniturebox as one of the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.
Credit: The Manc Group
The results took into consideration good state schools, affordable housing, as well as accessibility to pubs, bars, restaurants, independent shops, retailers and more.
With multiple parks, walking destinations, and top-notch travel links with Bee Network trams and buses easily taking you back into the city centre and out to other boroughs, East, West and Didsbury Village all remain some of the most sought-after areas in the region.
There’s a whole host of indie retailers to enjoy, especially on the likes of the main high street and Burton Road, which effectively serves as its own cultural district, home to vintage clothing shops like Steranko, tailored styling opticians Fox Brothers and much more.
Burton Rd also boasts countless fantastic food and drink spots like The Great Kathmandu, SANTÉ, Volta and Proove Pizza, just to name a few; we’ve spent plenty of time just on this stretch of Didsbury alone.
If you’ve spent even a little time in Dids, you’ll know there’s plenty going on and it’s certainly one our happiest places in all of Greater Manchester and therefore the UK.
You can also enjoy the famous ‘Didsbury Dozen’ right on your doorstep.
Elsewhere, and somewhat unsurprisingly, Shakespeare’s ever-romanticised hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon once again reigned supreme at the top of this list.
That being said, it’s refreshing to see that these locations weren’t entirely related to wealth and similar factors, the survey took affordability into careful consideration.
Cheshire was destined for success with its cracking views and grand properties, as the North West county made waves for the region managing to place in fifth position, holding up against Falmouth in Cornwall which placed in sixth.
Although not nabbing that all-important top spot, Didsbury is carrying the flag for 0161 and showing what all know to be true: Northerners do it best.
A Greater Manchester town could be set to get a train station for the first time in 60 years
Emily Sergeant
It’s been a whopping six decades, but the residents of one local town could soon be able to hop on a train out of there.
That’s because a planning application for a brand-new £32 million station in Golborne – which would connect the Greater Manchester town, in the Wigan borough, to the rail network for the first time in more than 60 years – has been submitted to Wigan Council, meaning connectivity is finally one step closer to becoming reality.
In case you didn’t know, Golborne currently has no direct bus, train, or tram services to Manchester, and Leigh is the biggest town in England without a rail station, while the wider area is the largest and most-populous area in Greater Manchester not connected to the rail network.
The milestone aims to boost access to jobs and opportunities for people in the town and the wider Wigan borough.
NEWS: Greater Manchester on track with plan for first new rail station in over 20 years. 🚉
✅ 90%+ public consultation support for Golborne station in Wigan ✅ Planning application in to @WiganCouncil ✅ Local area improvements and walking and cycling links
According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the Golborne station scheme forms part of a wider ambition to bring eight commuter lines into the Bee Network by 2028 – of which “significant investment” has been put into.
The application includes plans for a new accessible two-platform rail station, including step-free access throughout with a footbridge across the tracks and lifts to both platforms, a new hourly service between Wigan and Manchester Victoria, and onwards to Stalybridge, an improved town centre car park, and also new walking and cycling links to the town centre.
The submitting of the proposals comes after nearly 3,000 people had their say on the station earlier this year, with more than 90% of respondents supporting the plans.
A CGI of what the proposed new Golborne station could look like, if plans are approved / Credit: TfGM
If the plans are approved by Wigan Council, work on the site should begin in 2026, according to TfGM, with the new station scheduled to open in 2027.
Mayor Andy Burnham called the submitting of the proposals a “transformative step” for the region.
“It has taken a huge effort to get us to this point,” he explained. “But we have finally reached a major milestone on the journey to reconnect Golborne to the rail network for the first time in over 60 years.
“The proposal is based on extremely sound evidence and huge progress has been made with a planning application being submitted and overwhelming support from local residents.”
The Manc -
23rd February 2021 
