The legal minimum age of marriage in England and Wales has now been raised to 18, the government has confirmed.
After years of campaigners calling for change and action to be brought about, the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 has officially come into force in England and Wales today (27 February), according to the government, and it means that 16 and 17 year olds will no longer be allowed to marry or enter a civil partnership – even if they have parental consent.
The Act also means it’s now a criminal offence to exploit vulnerable children by arranging for them to marry, under any circumstances, regardless of whether or not force is used.
The government says the decision to raise the minimum marriage age from 16 to 18 years old is due to that fact that 18 is widely recognised as the age that a person becomes an adult and therefore gains full citizenship rights.
Today, the age of marriage & civil partnerships in England & Wales has raised from 16 to 18.
This will protect children from coercion & abuse. Hear from child marriage survivor @PayzeeMalika & MP @Pauline_Latham who worked to change the law👇
As part of the government’s commitment to the pledge made to the United Nations to tackle violence against women and girls and end child marriage by 2030, ministers say the raising of the minimum marriage age will “crack down on forced marriages” that can cause lasting damage on a child.
ADVERTISEMENT
On top of this, those who are found guilty of arranging child marriages now face sentences of up to seven years in prison.
Previously, forced marriage was only an offence if the person uses a type of coercion to cause someone to marry – but now, it’s an offence to cause a child under the age of 18 to enter a marriage in any circumstances, without the need to prove that a form of coercion was used.
ADVERTISEMENT
This includes non-legally binding ‘traditional’ ceremonies, which would still be viewed as marriages by the parties and their families, according to the government.
Legal minimum marriage age raised to 18 in England and Wales / Credit: Sandy Millar (via Unsplash)
Speaking on the introduction of the new Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 today, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said: “This law will better protect vulnerable young people, by cracking down on forced marriage in our society.
“Those who act to manipulate children into marrying under-age will now rightly face the full force of the law.”
ADVERTISEMENT
The change was introduced through a Private Member’s Bill brought to Parliament by Pauline Latham OBE MP, and was supported by campaign organisations within the Girls Not Brides Coalition – which works to end child marriage and ‘honour’-based abuse.
“This is a landmark day for the campaigners who have worked relentlessly for over five years to ban child marriage in this country,” Pauline Latham said.
“Child marriage destroys lives, and through this legislation we will protect millions of boys and girls over the coming years from this scourge.”
Featured Image – Pixabay
News
New images released of Piccadilly Gardens as transformation plans take a big step forward
Daisy Jackson
Plans to transform Piccadilly Gardens to make them more ‘colourful, vibrant and safe’ have taken a big step forward today, with new images released.
Manchester City Council has shared the vision to the public ahead of a planning application being submitted this summer.
The plans to finally give Piccadilly Gardens some love were revealed last autumn, but things are now moving at pace with a delivery team appointed to design and build the new public space.
The new images show the vision for more green space, including lawns, trees, planting, seating, and colourful horticultural displays.
The temperamental fountains will also be removed for good, replaced with a new space called The Pavilion which will host family-friendly events.
The low concrete walls and raised planters at the edge of the gardens will be ripped out, improving the setting of the Queen Victoria statue.
There’ll be a new, larger playground for younger children, created in the same high quality style as the new parks at Mayfield Park and Ancoats Green.
A pre-planning consultation has started today and will run until Wednesday 15 July, with plans to submit the final planning application later this summer.
The new-look play area at Piccadilly GardensPlans for the new Piccadilly Gardens from above
The council has said that these new designs reflect feedback from the public and opinions on what we want to see at the new Piccadilly Gardens.
Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “We’re getting on with sorting out Piccadilly Gardens. We all want to see a space which Mancunians can be proud of – a welcoming and attractive environment which people want to spend time in.
“So as well other initiatives which are delivering more police and more CCTV, we’re bringing forward this scheme to transform the public space. That means investment in more flowers, more greenery, a new welcome pavilion, a new and bigger playground and an altogether more inviting Piccadilly Gardens. A bright new chapter is just around the corner.”
Further planned improvements to the area around Piccadilly Gardens in the coming years will include a multi-million pound investment by Transport for Greater Manchester to create a new, modern transport interchange.
Council calls on Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use
Emily Sergeant
Residents across Manchester are being called on to help bring hundreds of empty homes across the region back into use.
Since the beginning of this year, a major review has been underway around the city’s draft strategy for bringing empty homes back into use to help meet demand for affordable homes across the city, while also improving communities by tackling empty homes that can blight an area… but now, Manchester City Council needs your help.
Following a major public consultation, the Council is now acting on feedback to accelerate plans to bring as many long-term empty homes back into active use as possible.
Although the number of long-term empty homes in Manchester is near a historic low, with the Council having managed to reduce the number by more than half since 2013, there is still more work to be done.
“Every void property is a missed opportunity to provide a family a place to live, reduce homelessness, and lessen the burden on temporary accommodation,” the Council said in a statement.
The Council is calling on the Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
So, how can residents help then? What do you need to do if you spot an empty home on a street nearby?
Well, the easiest way to report an empty home is to report the issue online here, or by emailing [email protected]. And then once that’s done, a team of dedicated empty homes officers will take up the case to find out who owns the property and work with the owner on a plan to bring the home back into use.
The vast number of empty homes are privately owned with complex histories, and there are some cases where an owner may have passed away.
While working collaboratively with housing providers, voluntary organisations and public services are also a key element of detecting potentially empty or ‘problematic’ homes to repurpose them.
Officers can also support, where required, if a communication or language poses a barrier to resolving an empty home issue.
Tailored approaches to different communities – where empty homes impact neighbourhoods in different ways – are also being considered, according to the Council.
“To think, if we could bring all empty homes back into use, then we could provide more homes for those on the housing register and take pressure off the whole housing system,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development.
“The potential of making empty homes a thing of the past is huge for Manchester families looking for a place to call home – and a significant part of tackling the housing crisis.”
Emily Sergeant -
27th February 2023 
