News

Government publishes official guidance on local restrictions in North West England

The government has stated that anyone who lives in Greater Manchester "should follow these rules when meeting people who you do not live with".

The Manc The Manc - 31st July 2020
Wikimedia Commons

The UK government has published official guidance this morning to outline the new restrictions put in place across areas of North West England to control the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The restrictions came into effect from midnight on 31 July 2020.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock made the sudden announcement yesterday evening that people in certain areas of Northern England – crucially including all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester – would no long be permitted to congregate privately with others outside their household or support bubble in homes and gardens due to a rise in COVID-19 cases across these regions.

The areas to which the new guidelines apply are:

  • Greater Manchester (all 10 boroughs)
  • Pendle
  • Hyndburn
  • Burnley
  • Rossendale
  • Blackburn with Darwen
  • Bradford
  • Calderdale
  • Kirklees

An official and in-depth guidance package has now been published via the gov.uk website.

ADVERTISEMENT

The government has stated that anyone who lives in these parts of Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and West Yorkshire “should follow these rules when meeting people who you do not live with” and if you live in one of the affected areas, in order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, you should not:

“Meet people you do not live with inside a private home or garden, except where you have formed a support bubble (or for other limited exemptions to be specified in law).

Visit someone else’s home or garden even if they live outside of the affected areas.

Socialise with people you do not live with in other indoor public venues – such as pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops, places of worship, community centres, leisure and entertainment venues, or visitor attractions. You may attend these venues with people you live with (or are in a support bubble with), but should avoid interaction with others. If you run such a business, you should take steps to ensure people do not interact with people they do not live with, in line with COVID-19 secure guidance.”

GOV.UK

It has also been confirmed that the government will pass new laws to enforce these changes, with the guidance stating that “the police will be able to take action against those that break these rules, including asking people to disperse and issuing fixed penalty notices”.

ADVERTISEMENT

These fixed penalty notices will start at £100 (halving to £50 if paid in the first 14 days) and will double for subsequent offences.

Further guidance has been revealed via a question and answer style format and addresses a number of FAQs that have understandably been circulating among members of the public across the region following the announcement.

Clarity has been provided on a range of questions from ‘Can I still go to work in this area?’, ‘Can I still go to cafes, restaurants, the gym and other public places?’ and ‘Can people from outside of the lockdown area visit me at my house?’, to ‘Can I visit a care home?’, ‘Can funerals and weddings still take place in the lockdown areas?’ and ‘Can I travel in a car with someone I do not live with?’.

ADVERTISEMENT

To read the guidance – North West of England: Local Restrictions – What You Can and Cannot Do – in full, visit the gov.uk here.

___

For further information and guidance amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, do refer to official sources via gov.uk/coronavirus.

#StaySafeSaveLives

News

Manchester locals appealing for more information over a month after from finding family member’s body

Danny Jones Danny Jones GMP appeal after body of Chorlton man found dead in bedroom

A Greater Manchester family are still calling for more information now over a month on from the discovery of a man’s body at his Chorlton home.

William Riddell, 49, was found dead in the bedroom of a property on Astbury Avenue at approximately 11:35pm on Sunday, 10 November after being found by his stepdaughter, Sarah Hayden.

Details surrounding his passing are still scarce but a 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder but has since been released on bail “pending further enquiries”, leaving Sarah and the rest of her family still none the wiser as to the exact nature of his death.

Preparing to spend their first Christmas without him, they have issued a desperate appeal for more information, urging anyone who might have information to come forward.

Riddell, more commonly known as Billy by those close to him, was described as a “good, caring man with a big heart” and a popular figure in the local area.

Speaking via Greater Manchester Police, Sarah, said: “I want to be Billy’s voice and get answers for him. Billy was a nice and lovely man and all the community knew who he was. He was well-liked and we gave him a good send-off at his funeral.

“I would just ask anyone who knew him or has any information to come forward and tell police. Even if you think it’s a little or small thing – please come forward. We just want to get to the bottom of what has happened.”

Detective Inspector Alex Wilkinson, who serves on GMP‘s Major Incident Team, added in an official statement: “The family of Billy deserve answers following his death and we are working hard to ensure they get exactly that.

“We have closely supported Sarah and the wider family over the last month, and we will continue to provide assistance wherever we can as they face their first Christmas without him.

“While a suspect has been bailed, we are still working flat-out to understand more about Billy’s life, the people he was close to, and events leading up to his death just over a month ago.”

Read more:

With that in mind, both GMP and Riddell’s family are asking anyone who might know anything or have information regarding people associated with Billy to come forward, reiterating that “even if you consider something to be small – your help could greatly benefit our investigation.”

You can contact police via 101 or by using the live chat function HERE, quoting log 3227 of 10/11/24.

Alternatively, you can contact the UK’s independent charity, Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Greater Manchester Police

News

Government aims to ‘turn the tide’ on homelessness with £1 billion funding boost

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Nearly £1 billion of funding is being pumped into Council budgets to help “break the cycle of spiralling homelessness” in 2025.

As part of the Government‘s wider ‘Plan For Change’, and in a bid to help tackle, reduce, and prevent homelessness next year, it’s been announced that more resources will be be made available for workers on the frontline who provide essential services to get rough sleepers off the street and into secure housing.

This significant investment means Councils will now be “better equipped” to step in early and stop households from becoming homeless in the first place.

According to the Government’s plans, these funded measures will include mediation with landlords or families to prevent evictions, helping homeless people find new homes, and providing deposits to access private renting. 

The funding will also be used to address the growing use of B&Bs and nightly-let accommodation, and the streamlining of funding structures to make it easier for Councils to spend their cash.  

Areas across the UK can also choose to channel resources into services such as Housing First.

Housing First has been massively successful in Greater Manchester, and has helped house hundreds of our region’s rough sleepers since it was first piloted, being described as “life-changing” along the way.

More than £633 million of the funding will be allocated for the Homelessness Prevention Grant – which is a £192 million increase from this year – while £185.6 million will go to the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant, more than £37 million to the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, and £5 million will be for the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots.

Read more:

This new £1 billion funding boost comes after it was announced back in September that Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will be abolished in England next year as part of the landmark Renters’ Rights Bill.

It will also look to support the Government’s ambition to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation – with an extra £500 million ploughed into the Affordable Homes Programme to build tens of thousands of affordable homes across the country.  

Featured Image – Gary Knight (via Flickr)

More News

News

Avanti West Coast staff set to strike on major days over festive period

Business

Full list of Christmas opening hours at all UK supermarkets 2024

City Centre

Man jailed after robbing and throwing hot coffee over elderly man in Piccadilly Gardens

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches