Local government and business leaders have come together in a bid to ‘do data better’; aiming to turn the region into a responsible data user that learns lessons from the summer exams fiasco.
Key personnel are pledging their support for the Declaration for Responsible and Intelligent Data Practice – a shared vision for the region co-created by Open Data Manchester (ODM) with expert practitioners from multiple sectors.
The Declaration seeks to differentiate ‘the good’ from ‘the bad’ among those that use data and turn Greater Manchester into a ‘pioneer’.
Its 23 principles have been created to prevent repeats of issues like those seen with the disastrous exam results algorithm earlier this year.
Launching with the support of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), along with tech trade body Manchester Digital, the Declaration represents public and private-sector commitment to making good decisions.
ADVERTISEMENT
Councillor Sean Fielding, GMCA Lead for Employment, Skills and Digital, said: “For Greater Manchester to achieve its digital ambitions we need the whole ecosystem to pull together and it’s fantastic to see collaboration of this kind informing how we ‘do data better’ across the region.
“It’s vital that our people have absolute confidence in what’s happening to their information and that our professionals use data responsibly and effectively to improve decision-making, supporting those most in need.
ADVERTISEMENT
“The commitments made in this declaration will help us create a digital city region for everyone. A region that takes an approach to digital that ensures no one gets left behind.”
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson came in for criticism following the exam results fiasco – Flickr
Katie Gallagher, Managing Director of Manchester Digital, added: “This is pioneering piece of work that puts the region at the forefront of responsible data use.
“Adopting these principles will further enhance and differentiate the region’s reputation for being a leading technology hub.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Manchester Digital is delighted to support this work and we look forward to working with Open Data Manchester to encourage businesses to adopt the declaration in the coming months.”
The UK government launched a consultation on a new National Data Strategy earlier this month – which has ‘responsible data use’ as one of its themes.
The government’s consultation closes in December and the results will be shared next year.
To explore the issue further, Open Data Manchester is launching a series of events called Demistifying the Algorithm, including one called Policy, Politics and the Algorithm.
But it’s swings and roundabouts, as with all those impressive titles comes a less-than-impressive one, as the city has also been named one of the top 10 most congested cities with the worst traffic in the UK.
According to a new study conducted by the RAC, using data from INRIX, it was found that Manchester ranked number four on the list, as motorists lost a total of 61 hours stuck in traffic over the course of 2024 – which was estimated to cost them around £570 extra.
Manchester has been named one of the UK’s most congested cities / Credit: Manchester City Council (via Facebook)
Manchester wasn’t the only northern city on the list either, as Leeds and Sheffield also feature in the top 10, alongside the surprising addition of the lively Greater Manchester town of Wigan.
Yes, that’s right – it may not technically be a city, but for some reason, Wigan has also found itself featured on the list of UK’s most congested cities, as the study found that motorists there wasted an average of 57 hours stuck in traffic in 2024, and sadly had to part with an extra £532 because of it.
The UK’s most congested cities
London
Bristol
Leeds
Manchester
Bath
Birmingham
Wigan
Chelmsford
Sheffield
When it comes to the top spot on the list, that of course goes to London.
London’s drivers lost 101 hours sitting in congestion in 2024, which was a 2% increase in delays from the previous 12 months, and this means that the capital also accounts for approximately 50% of all UK traffic delay.
Looking nationally as a whole, the data also revealed that the country lost approximately £7.7 billion in 2024, which is £200 million more than in 2023.
The average UK driver lost around 62 hours due to traffic congestion last year, according to the study, which is up only one hour from the previous 12-month period, and this works out to £581 per driver per year.
Council tax could be increased to help keep Greater Manchester Police ‘one of the best’ in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Council tax could be increased to help keep Greater Manchester Police ‘one of the best police forces in the country’.
Residents across Greater Manchester are being urged to have their say on proposals to increase the police precept that forms part of their council tax bill.
In case you weren’t familiar, three quarters of police funding comes from a central Government grant, but the remaining quarter comes from Greater Manchester Combined Authority‘s (GMCA) police precept, all of which helps enable Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to build on a range of improvements delivered over the last few years.
Funding helps GMP to further improve the speed of answering 999 and 101 calls, reduce and prevent neighbourhood crimes and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), improve road and transport safety across Manchester city centre, and bring more sex offenders to justice, among many other things.
Have your say on how we fund GMP’s vital services.
Your input helps us retain neighbourhood policing and keep Greater Manchester safe.
Together, we can ensure we are delivering the commitments that matter most to you.
— Greater Manchester Combined Authority (@greatermcr) January 7, 2025
According to GMCA, these are some of the things that people in the region said were “important to them” following “extensive engagement and consultation” with communities.
The proposed increase to the residents’ council tax bills would be £14 a year for a ‘Band D’ property (£1.17 a month), which equates to £10.89 per year (91 pence a month) for an average ‘Band B’ property – with the majority of properties in Greater Manchester falling within Bands A and B.
Addressing the potential increase, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said: “We set out a number of commitments last year on what Greater Manchester Police would deliver with the precept, and they delivered on every one of them.
Council tax could be increased to help keep Greater Manchester Police ‘one of the best’ in the UK / Credit: gov.uk
GMP are now answering 999 calls in record time, attending incidents sooner and investing in neighbourhood policing and crime prevention teams [and] as a result, we’ve seen crime reduce across the board, with the most marked improvement in neighbourhood crime which has reduced by 17% in the past year.”
He continued: “I know that times are tough for our residents, but investment through the precept is vital to maintain this improvement.
The Manc -
2nd October 2020 
