The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II is to be shown for free on several big screens in Manchester city centre.
HM Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 on 8 September 2022.
During her reign, she served as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth – undertaking an important symbolic and unifying role as a head of state, spanning numerous geographical regions, cultures, and religions.
She was not just the longest-reigning British monarch in history, but she was also the first-ever monarch to reign in the UK for 70 years.
With the UK now in a period of national mourning, it has been confirmed by Buckingham Palace and the UK government that the State Funeral will be held at 11am in Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September.
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Draped in the Royal Standard, Her Majesty The Queen's coffin is taken in Procession to Westminster Hall. pic.twitter.com/m19YFYQuWv
A bank holiday has been declared on the day of the State Funeral, so that mourners nationwide have the time to properly pay their respects to the late monarch.
For those who wish to publicly pair their respects, Manchester City Council has confirmed that big screens in the city centre will show coverage of the State Funeral from 9am on Monday 19 September in these three popular locations:
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Cathedral Gardens
Exchange Square
Inside Manchester Cathedral
Each site will be open to the public without the need for tickets.
Big screens in the city centre will show coverage of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's State Funeral from 9am on Monday 19 September.
The screens will be in Cathedral Gardens, Exchange Square and inside Manchester Cathedral.
There will be bag searches in operation and access to the squares will be limited when they reach capacity, but the Council has confirmed that people will be able to move in and out of the big screen areas throughout the day
A national two minute silence will be observed following the State Funeral, while Manchester Central Library, the Tower of Light, and Manchester Cathedral will all also be lit purple to mark the day.
The Metrolink service will be suspended in Exchange Square for the duration of the funeral, and you can also find out more information and advice on travel arrangements around Greater Manchester on the day of the State Funeral here.
HM Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 on 8 September 2022 / Credit: The Royal Family
“This Monday will be a historic occasion as Queen Elizabeth II is honoured with a state funeral,” said Cllr Bev Craig – Leader of Manchester City Council.
“We recognise that many people will take comfort in gathering together to share the moment as they pay tribute to the late Queen and reflect on her long and momentous reign and we are pleased to be able to support this communal remembrance through a public screening of the event.
“As this is a Bank Holiday, people should be aware that many council services will be closed as a mark of respect – however, as is always the case we will be maintaining essential services.”
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Find out more about how Manchester is paying respects to Queen Elizabeth II here.
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 -
16th September 2022 
