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Travel advice issued as 300,000 people prepare to attend Manchester gigs… amid train strikes

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 30th May 2023

Those heading into Manchester this weekend are being urged to plan ahead for what’s expected to be the busiest travel day of the year so far.

More than 300,000 people are set to descend on the city’s major events venues this week from Wednesday right through until Sunday (31 May – 4 June) to see some of the world’s biggest music artists take to the stage – with Coldplay taking over the Etihad Stadium, Arctic Monkeys at Emirates Old Trafford, and Sir Elton John at the AO Arena.

Not only that, but thousands more will also be making their way to the free festival, We Invented the Weekend, at MediaCityUK and Salford Quays on Saturday and Sunday.

But despite it being one of the busiest periods the Greater Manchester events calendar has seen all year so far, music lovers and festivalgoers have a whole host of rail strikes to battle with.

As part of what is an ongoing battle between the Government and rail unions RMT and Aslef over pay, pensions, and working conditions, coordinated days of industrial action are planned on the railways nationwide for Wednesday 31 May, Friday 2, and Saturday 3 June – with train timetables and operating hours set to be “significantly affected”.

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And if all of that disruption wasn’t enough as it is, the strike action on Saturday also coincides with the first-ever Manchester Derby FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United, with around 90,000 fans due to make the journey to watch the match live inside Wembley, and thousands more expected to travel to the capital to soak in the atmosphere.

Coldplay and Arctic Monkeys are set to play several massive shows in Manchester this week / Credit: Coldplay (via Instagram) | Arctic Monkeys (via Instagram)

In preparation for all these major events taking place, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has issued travel advice and is strongly encouraging people to “plan ahead”.

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TfGM is advising that people use the Metrolink as this will be the “quickest and most-reliable way” of travelling in and around the city centre across the weekend.

Drivers are being “strongly advised” not to drive into the city centre, with congestion expected in the city centre and on the Inner Ring Road across the weekend – but those who have no option but to drive are asked to add “a significant amount of additional time” to their journeys.

Sir Elton John is arriving in Manchester as part of the final tour of his career / Credit: Elton John (via Instagram)

Sean Dyball, TfGM’s Head of Customer Experience, says they are preparing for “one of the busiest periods of the year” this weekend.

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“We are expecting major congestion on Saturday and we strongly encourage anyone travelling into the city centre to plan ahead and allow sufficient time for their journeys,” he added.

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“Throughout the weekend we will be constantly updating the customer information available on our website and across our social media channels to help people make informed journey choices so they can save them time and avoid disruption.”

Dedicated travel guidance for each of the events happening this week can be found on TfGM’s website.

Featured Image – David Dixon (via Instagram)

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Manchester locals appealing for more information over a month after from finding family member’s body

Danny Jones Danny Jones GMP appeal after body of Chorlton man found dead in bedroom

A Greater Manchester family are still calling for more information now over a month on from the discovery of a man’s body at his Chorlton home.

William Riddell, 49, was found dead in the bedroom of a property on Astbury Avenue at approximately 11:35pm on Sunday, 10 November after being found by his stepdaughter, Sarah Hayden.

Details surrounding his passing are still scarce but a 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder but has since been released on bail “pending further enquiries”, leaving Sarah and the rest of her family still none the wiser as to the exact nature of his death.

Preparing to spend their first Christmas without him, they have issued a desperate appeal for more information, urging anyone who might have information to come forward.

Riddell, more commonly known as Billy by those close to him, was described as a “good, caring man with a big heart” and a popular figure in the local area.

Speaking via Greater Manchester Police, Sarah, said: “I want to be Billy’s voice and get answers for him. Billy was a nice and lovely man and all the community knew who he was. He was well-liked and we gave him a good send-off at his funeral.

“I would just ask anyone who knew him or has any information to come forward and tell police. Even if you think it’s a little or small thing – please come forward. We just want to get to the bottom of what has happened.”

Detective Inspector Alex Wilkinson, who serves on GMP‘s Major Incident Team, added in an official statement: “The family of Billy deserve answers following his death and we are working hard to ensure they get exactly that.

“We have closely supported Sarah and the wider family over the last month, and we will continue to provide assistance wherever we can as they face their first Christmas without him.

“While a suspect has been bailed, we are still working flat-out to understand more about Billy’s life, the people he was close to, and events leading up to his death just over a month ago.”

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With that in mind, both GMP and Riddell’s family are asking anyone who might know anything or have information regarding people associated with Billy to come forward, reiterating that “even if you consider something to be small – your help could greatly benefit our investigation.”

You can contact police via 101 or by using the live chat function HERE, quoting log 3227 of 10/11/24.

Alternatively, you can contact the UK’s independent charity, Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.

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

Featured Images — Greater Manchester Police

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Government aims to ‘turn the tide’ on homelessness with £1 billion funding boost

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Nearly £1 billion of funding is being pumped into Council budgets to help “break the cycle of spiralling homelessness” in 2025.

As part of the Government‘s wider ‘Plan For Change’, and in a bid to help tackle, reduce, and prevent homelessness next year, it’s been announced that more resources will be be made available for workers on the frontline who provide essential services to get rough sleepers off the street and into secure housing.

This significant investment means Councils will now be “better equipped” to step in early and stop households from becoming homeless in the first place.

According to the Government’s plans, these funded measures will include mediation with landlords or families to prevent evictions, helping homeless people find new homes, and providing deposits to access private renting. 

The funding will also be used to address the growing use of B&Bs and nightly-let accommodation, and the streamlining of funding structures to make it easier for Councils to spend their cash.  

Areas across the UK can also choose to channel resources into services such as Housing First.

Housing First has been massively successful in Greater Manchester, and has helped house hundreds of our region’s rough sleepers since it was first piloted, being described as “life-changing” along the way.

More than £633 million of the funding will be allocated for the Homelessness Prevention Grant – which is a £192 million increase from this year – while £185.6 million will go to the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant, more than £37 million to the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, and £5 million will be for the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots.

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This new £1 billion funding boost comes after it was announced back in September that Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will be abolished in England next year as part of the landmark Renters’ Rights Bill.

It will also look to support the Government’s ambition to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation – with an extra £500 million ploughed into the Affordable Homes Programme to build tens of thousands of affordable homes across the country.  

Featured Image – Gary Knight (via Flickr)

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