What does a recession mean for Greater Manchester?
These headlines and statements this morning are enough in themselves to set alarm bells ringing, but what does a recession actually mean? And how is this set to impact Manchester moving forwards?
The Chancellor has made no bones about it: The UK is in for tough times.
These headlines and statements this morning are enough in themselves to set alarm bells ringing, but what does a recession actually mean? And how is this set to impact Manchester moving forwards?
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What is a recession and how does it affect people?
The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on nations worldwide, causing the value of goods and services – widely known as a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – to plummet.
This has led to economies shrinking.
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When shrinking occurs over two consecutive quarters (basically six months in a row), it is known as a recession.
The last recession was the 2007-08 global financial crisis, when GDP in Britain fell by over 6%.
However, the latest stats from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that GDP in 2020 has fallen by a whopping 20.4%.
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Many big nations have also suffered, with Germany and US suffering large declines.
But the stats show that the UK is officially one of the worst-hit countries in the continent.
Manchester City Council Leader, Sir Richard Leese, has already said that “recovering from the impacts of the coronavirus period and getting the city back on a positive trajectory is the greatest challenge we have faced in our lifetimes.”
The cold hard facts are that many more people in Manchester will lose their jobs as a result of the UK being in a recession.
Finding a new job can also prove more challenging in this sort of economic climate. Companies are left facing increased costs, which may mean they are reluctant to hire.
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Property values can also fall drastically.
However, this recession has long been anticipated. The council is putting a recovery plan in place – where ‘steps will be taken to support the city’s business base and help residents into employment while continuing to bring forward development and initiatives to stimulate the economy’.
Mr. Leese added: “We will be working closely with Manchester residents and businesses, as well as health services and other partner organisations including the voluntary and community sector, to keep this great city moving forwards. We want to ensure that nobody gets left behind and everybody can contribute to the recovery.”
The most recent UK recession more than 10 years ago lasted for over 12 months, but a lot will depend on how businesses can get back on their feet.
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The expectations are that the economy will see significant improvement if a vaccine is found.
Whilst Chancellor Sunak spoke of ‘difficult choices’ having to be made over the coming months, he did offer a ray of optimism for the tricky path ahead.
“We will get through this,” he pledged.
“And I can assure people that nobody will be left without hope or opportunity.”
News
Trafford Centre announces opening hours for 2025/26 festive season – including Boxing Day
Emily Sergeant
Trafford Centre has published its full list of opening hours for this current festive season.
We all know that the Christmas period is one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry, with people flocking to the shops in their millions to snap up festive gifts for their loved ones, and it only gets busier from Boxing Day onwards too when all the sales launch, offering shoppers some unmissable deals and bargains.
And nowhere in Greater Manchester gets busier during the festive season than the Trafford Centre. After all, with more than 200 stores all under one room, it’s not hard to see why.
This year, shoppers can make the most of extended opening hours at the Trafford Centre right through to New Year’s Day – with late night shopping until 11pm on selected dates in December leading up to the big day.
Alongside being a one-stop-shop for gifts, there’s also dozens of festive events and new Christmas lights to enjoy at the Trafford Centre too, so visitors can tick everything off their list and have a great day out while they’re at it.
The shopping centre will be open from 9am – 5pm on Christmas Eve, so you can whip round and grab any last-minute presents, before it’s closed fully on Christmas Day, and then opens again bright and early at 8am on Boxing Day.
Trafford Centre Christmas Opening Hours 2025/26
18 and 19 December: 10am – 11pm
20 December: 10am – 10pm
21 December: 12pm – 6pm
22 and 23 December: 10am – 11pm
Christmas: 9am – 5pm
Christmas Day: Closed
26 December: 8am – 8pm (some stores may be closed, please check with individual brands)
27 December: 10am – 9pm
28 December: 12pm – 6pm
29 and 30 December: 10pm – 10pm
New Year’s Eve: 9am – 5pm
New Year’s Day: 12pm – 6pm
It’s also worth noting, however, that not every store inside the Trafford Centre will be open on Boxing Day, so you’ll need to check with individual brands ahead of time.
For the restaurants, stores, and leisure venues that are open, you can check their specific trading hours on the Trafford Centre website here.
When it comes to festive event, The Grotto is open until Christmas Eve for pre-bookings only, and the Christmas fairground and ice rink, Big Wheel, and Gandeys Snowstorm Firebird show are all open until 4 January (closed Christmas Day).
Featured Image – Trafford Centre (Supplied)
News
Greater Manchester’s ‘clean taxi’ plans backed by government funding
Danny Jones
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) ‘clean taxi’ initiative has been officially backed by the UK government, with an extra boost coming from a leading electric vehicle brand.
Millions of pounds are set to be pumped into the scheme over the coming years as the North West at large strives to become greener.
The Mayor himself, Andy Burnham, has made environmentally conscious travel a core part of his plans for the city region ever since he took up the post back in 2017; now he and his team are helping link up with connections in the capital to secure further investment.
With the new £8 million Hackney Support Fund being put into action as we speak, a further £2m is now set to go towards Manchester city centre and its surrounding boroughs via LEVC.
LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) have done away with classic petrol and diesel engines in their particular corner of the automotive industry, setting a more eco-friendly example for metropolitan cities up and down Great Britain.
As a result, Manchester City Council and the GMCA as a whole are looking to take a leaf out of their book as part of their wider carbon reduction targets, with local authorities having recently reaffirmed their five-year ‘climate change action plan’.
For context, the Hackney Support Fund in question is a series of government-backed grants aimed at helping taxi drivers replace older black cabs with more modern, zero-emission capable vehicles.
Not only that, but LEVC will also be offering licensed carriage drivers extended warranties on new and used TX cabs – like their new ‘eCity powetrain’ pictured above – as well as taxi scrappage allowance on other models.
Like any part of the country, our region itself has its own clean air goals, and with the continued expansion of the Bee Network continuing to advance that progress, we’re heading in the right direction.
It goes without saying that adding a fully-fledged fleet of cleaner, more energy-efficient EV taxis into that mix could help benefit these greener pursuits.
Managing Director at LEVC, Chris Allen, noted that the company has “helped the capital achieve legal air quality targets for the first time” and strongly believes that they can do the same up North.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Our taxi trade is a vital part of Greater Manchester’s transport network and supports the local economy.
“That’s why we’re working hard to secure funding and practical support to help drivers upgrade to cleaner, greener vehicles – improving air quality for everyone, while protecting livelihoods. By backing our taxi trade, we’re building a fairer, healthier city-region for all.”
The Manc -
12th August 2020 
