News

Relaxed rules over Christmas now ‘under review’ – with talks being held between nations

Sky News reports that the Cabinet Office minister will be discussing whether the countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should reconsider easing measures over the festive period.

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The prospect of relaxing rules over Christmas in Britain is apparently being placed under review – with talks set to take place later this afternoon.

Sky News reports that the Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove will be holding a meeting with representatives from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as the nations reconsider easing measures over the festive period.

The four countries originally struck an agreement to relax some rules between 23-27 December – temporarily allowing travel between tiers and borders and giving three households freedom to mix indoors.

But a recent spike in coronavirus cases – which may be due to a new variant of the virus – has put ministers under pressure to reconsider the ‘Christmas bubble’ rules.

According to Sky, a number of potential ideas are on the table – including reducing the number of days people can mix, moving the window entirely, or keeping things as they are and simply ‘toughening up the message’.

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The Health Service Journal and British Medical Journal this week described loosening rules over Christmas as a “rash” decision that “could cost many lives.”

Both journals suggested the UK should follow the examples of Germany, Italy and the Netherlands elsewhere in Europe – who have tightened restrictions across the festive period.

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Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham had also previously expressed concern that the rules were “allowing too much.”

According to Sky, Gove is set to speak with representatives from the devolved nations around 5pm.

News

Weather warnings issued with parts of Greater Manchester set to be battered by torrential rain

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Man walking in rain

Large parts of Greater Manchester are set to be battered with heavy rain and strong winds this weekend.

Summer couldn’t be a thing of the past more if it tried, at least not for the North anyway, as the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for a parts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland – with Greater Manchester very much included in the mix, and set to see some pretty grim conditions over the coming days.

According to the Met Office‘, unsettled conditions ‘will prevail’ for many with heavy rain and strong winds over the weekend, and even a risk of thunderstorms too.

The yellow weather warning – which covers most of Greater Manchester, primarily the more northern boroughs – comes into place from 9am on Saturday (20 September) and will officially end at 6am on Sunday (21 September).

Weather forecasters are warning local residents to take care when the rough conditions hit.

“20-40 mm of rain is expected to fall widely, with some locations perhaps seeing 60-100 mm, with much of this total falling in just a few hours,” explained Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Tom Crabtree.

“From mid-Saturday onwards, increasingly strong gusty winds and perhaps some thunder will also accompany the rainfall, further increasing the risk of disruption.”

He also added that strong winds are ‘likely’.

“These may potentially exceed 55 miles per hour, however the exact location and timing remain uncertain at this time [so] we’re closely monitoring developments and may issue more warnings as the situation evolves.”

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The Met Office says it’s important for people to stay up to date with its forecasts over the coming days, and situations can often change.

Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons

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Two Trafford towns are set to see dozens of new EV charging points installed imminently

Danny Jones Danny Jones New EV charging points being installed in Trafford Borough

Two big towns on the border of Greater Manchester and Cheshire are set to see a fresh batch of electric vehicle (EV) charging points installed throughout their streets by Trafford Council very soon.

Local authorities have teamed up with engineering and infrastructure company Amey to roll out a series of new EV charging stations across Trafford, starting with Altrincham and Hale.

Dating all the way back to 2020, the collaboration with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the brand was tasked with helping improve sustainable travel across the area as the government body’s electric vehicle charging suppliers.

Steady improvements have been made across the 10 boroughs, but this particular update marks one of the biggest network upgrades that the likes of Alty and Hale have seen for some time.

Issuing a statement on Wednesday, 17 September, the firm – which specialises in managing, designing and maintaining complex facilities and transport infrastructure across the country – announced that they will “start the installation of EV charging points in Trafford in the coming weeks.”

It is expected that “up to 100 new public charges” will be integrated throughout the respective town centres and residential streets as the suburbs continues to push towards its sustainability goals.

As per Altrincham Today, Amey account director Anna Gornall said: “We’re excited to launch our first EV charge points in Trafford, working in partnership with Trafford Council (TC) to make electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities.

“As the UK’s leading provider of energy transition and decarbonisation solutions, we’re well placed to use our existing expertise and resources to support TC in delivering a holistic public EV charging network for local communities.

“We’re helping residents make the switch, so everyone can plug in and power a greener Trafford.”

The country at large has various carbon-free initiatives, including the aspiration of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; the electoral ward of Trafford itself continues to thrive in this field, having recently won environmental accolades, including 12 ‘Green Flag Awards’ this past July.

Peter Anderson, Managing Director of Transport Infrastructure at Amey, commented: “This is a pivotal moment in Amey’s energy transition strategy. By leveraging our extensive experience in whole lifecycle asset management, strong partnerships, and innovative solutions, we can deliver value for both our clients and members of the public who will use Amey’s electric vehicle charge points.

“Working with Trafford Council, we are making electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities and helping residents make the switch to EVs.

“Amey is well-positioned to support emerging opportunities within this landscape, and we are delighted to be working with Trafford and other local authorities to provide the public EV infrastructure needed to achieve the government’s transition to net zero.”

As for Trafford Council, Corporate Director of Place, Richard Roe, went on to add: “We are delighted to be working with Amey on this project to bring more and better charging options to the people of Trafford.

“This is an extension to the current EV charging options in the borough and is great news for committed EV owners and those who are thinking about going electric.”

The incredible plans to build floating walkways over Manchester’s waterways
The new slate of EV charging points will be funded by City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements – and that’s not all…

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Featured Images — Publicity pictures (via Amey Ltd)

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