News

The exceptions to breaking lockdown rules in Greater Manchester under new legislation

Official legislation came into force today, but there are a number of exceptions to breaking restrictions.

The Manc The Manc - 5th August 2020
Wikimedia Commons

The UK government’s official legislation to legally enforce the new lockdown restrictions across Greater Manchester and other parts of Northern England comes into force today.

The legislation, which was published yesterday, applies to residents in England only and comes over five days after Health Secretary Matt Hancock made the announcement on the evening of Thursday 30th July 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.

This is due to a rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases across these regions.

According to the new government guidance and legislation, those living in Greater Manchester “should follow these rules when meeting people who you do not live with”.

You should not:

ADVERTISEMENT

“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

The new legislation gives police the power to take action against those that break these rules, including asking people to disperse and issuing fixed penalty notices.

These fixed penalty notices will start at £100 (halving to £50 if paid in the first 14 days) and will double for subsequent offences, meaning that fines can even rise to a total of £3,200 in the the case of the sixth and subsequent fixed penalty notices.

ADVERTISEMENT

There are a number of exceptions to breaking the rules as detailed in the legislation though.

Whilst rules ban gatherings of two or more people from multiple households in private dwellings – including gardens, yards, passages, stairs and outhouses – there are exceptions for certain circumstances.

These include:

ADVERTISEMENT
  • If someone is giving birth and the person is at attending at the person who is giving birth’s request.
  • If a person is visiting a person they reasonably believe is dying and the concerned person is a member of the dying person’s household, or they are close family member or a friend of the dying person.
  • A person is fulfilling a legal obligation.
  • If the gathering is for work or education purposes or voluntary or charitable purposes.
  • For the purposes of childcare provided by a person registered under Part 3 of the Childcare Act 2006.
  • To provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person including personal care.
  • To facilitate a house move.
  • To provide emergency assistance.
  • To enable one or more persons in the gathering to avoid injury or illness, or to escape a risk of harm.
  • To continue existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children where the children do not live in the same household as their parents, or one of their parents.

Organised public gatherings of more than 30 people – both on land and vessels (with the exception of house boats and vessels for public transport) – are now also banned under the new regulations, unless:

  • The gathering has been organised by a business, a charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institution, a public body, or a political body, and the person responsible for organising the gathering has carried out a risk assessment.
  • The organiser has taken all reasonable measures to limit the risk of transmission of the coronavirus, taking into account the risk assessment.
  • The person concerned is an elite sportsperson, the coach of an elite sportsperson, or (in the case of an elite sportsperson who is a child), the parent of an elite sportsperson, and the gathering is necessary for training or competition.
  • The gathering is reasonably necessary for works purposes, or provision of voluntary or charitable services.
  • It is for education, or training.
  • It is for childcare provided by a person registered under Part 3 of the Childcare Act 2006, or as part of supervised activities provided for children.
  • It is to provide emergency assistance, or to enable one or more persons in the gathering to avoid injury or illness, or to escape a risk of harm.
  • The person concerned is fulfilling a legal obligation.

An authorised person may issue a fixed penalty notice to anyone that the authorised person reasonably believes has committed an offence under these regulations, and is aged 18 or over.

Fines can be handed out by either a police officer, a police community support officer (PCSO), or “a person designated by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this regulation”.

You can read the full legislation document via the legislation.gov.uk website here.

___

ADVERTISEMENT

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

#StaySafeSaveLives

News

Manchester Remembers Foundation announces its return for a special anniversary charity match

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester Remembers charity game back in 2027

The Manchester Remembers Foundation has announced the return of its charity football game in 2027, which will coincide with a special anniversary close to all Mancunians.

For those unaware, the MCR Remembers charity matches were set up in memory of the Manchester Arena victims, helping raise funds for the families of the 22 who sadly died in the attack.

While the fifth iteration of what started out as an annual vision, set for this past summer, was sadly cancelled back in May and the Foundation itself seemingly shut down, the co-founders have decided they’re not ready for it all to end just yet.

Somewhat quietly confirming the return of the fundraising footy match on social media, the next fixture will be returning next year, which marks a full decade since the tragedy.

Writing a slightly lengthier statement on Instagram, MCR Remembers creators Aaron Lee and Paul Corrigan said: “No matter how difficult things get and how little support we get from people in positions to help, we have to keep going.

“We take inspiration from the brave and courageous people who were so closely involved with the arena attack. We will continue to remember those affected and celebrate their legacy.

“We are planning a spectacular return for the 10th anniversary in 2027. Plans and talks to begin shortly
We will reassess after that event. As always, thank you to those that stuck by us. We see you, and we appreciate every single one of you. Stay tuned. Aaron / Paul.”

Lee – a local and a former police officer on 22 May 2017 – set up the organisation with his friend and fellow fundraiser (10 marathons in 10 months) with the aim of not only honouring those lost but also to help raise vital funds for their families and native bereavement charities.

They’re two incredibly inspiring individuals who have done a lot to help those in and around Greater Manchester, as well as keep that date in our heads and hearts.

Now a firefighter and having helped raise more than £200,000 for the six associated charities overall, he was presented with the Chief Fire Officer’s Commendation award in August 2024.

Although information is still scarce in these early stages, The MCR Remembers Foundation has assured that details regarding exactly when and where the game is set to take place will be shared over the coming week and months.

It goes without saying that we here at The Manc are glad to see the moving charity match being confirmed for a comeback, even if it’s only for a one-off, and can’t wait to see which ex-pros and celebrity players get involved.

Then again, who knows? A successful return could signal the start of a fully-fledged revival, and we sincerely hope it does.

Watch this space and see you next year for the anniversary edition of Manchester Remembers 2027.

Read more:

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

Featured Images — The Manc Group

News

Manchester given extra £3m funding to help ‘prevent’ homelessness and rough sleeping

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Manchester has been handed a £3 million funding boost to help ‘prevent’ homelessness and rough sleeping across the city.

The ‘substantial’ extra funding, which was announced by the Government last week on World Homelessness Day (10 October), will be a top-up to Manchester City Council’s existing homelessness funding up until 2027 in recognition of the continuing pressures that Manchester and other UK areas are currently under. 

The Council says it’s already begun to set out plans for how the extra money will be spent to make sure it has the ‘maximum impact’.  

At this time, it’s expected that around £550,000 of the funding will be awarded by the Council as grants to organisations in the city’s Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector – which are supporting people who are homeless, or are at risk of homelessness.

Manchester has been given an extra £3m funding to help ‘prevent’ homelessness and rough sleeping / Credit: Gary Knight (via Flickr)

Other funding will be used to ‘bolster support’ to help people in temporary accommodation move on to settled homes. 

The funding will also be used to adapt temporary accommodation for people with physical disabilities and other needs, which will meet the demand for such housing, while 180 ‘care leavers’ who would otherwise be at risk of homelessness will also be housed in shared rented homes.  

Finally, part of the funding will be used to help ensure social housing in the city is available to those who need it most – including a major crackdown on tenancy fraud, back efforts to bring empty homes back into use, and help people whose existing social housing is too large for their needs to ‘right size’, freeing up larger homes for families. 

“Tackling the homelessness crisis is one of Manchester’s biggest priorities and, working with our community partners across the city, we are turning the tide,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council.

“In Manchester, we are working tirelessly to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place through early help, and to ensure anyone who does become homeless gets the support they need to build new lives in settled homes.

Read more:

“We welcome today’s extra funding boost from Government which, nationally, adds an extra £84 million to the billion that was committed earlier in the year.”

Featured Image – Flickr

More News

Most Ofcom complaints in Britain over the last 5 years

News

The ‘most complained-about’ show in Britain over the last five years has been revealed

Crime

Parents of Rochdale three-year-old mauled to death by ‘out of control’ dog jailed

Affiliate

Busted vs McFly’s Manchester arena shows – tickets, times, setlist and all you need to know

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches