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Greater Manchester’s boroughs could be split into different tiers, Andy Burnham says
Thoughts?
The boroughs of Greater Manchester could be split into different tiers, Mayor Andy Burnham has suggested at a press conference.
Mr Burnham held his weekly coronavirus press conference yesterday, and was joined by his deputy for crime and policing, Bev Hughes, as well as the leader of Manchester City Council Council, Sir Richard Leese.
The mayor said that while there has been a ‘significant decline’ in hospital admissions across Greater Manchester, the infection rates are varying in different areas, with cases in Bury actually growing by 5% (to 225.7 per 100,000), while in Trafford they’ve dropped down into double digits (81.5 per 100,000).
Daniel Nisbet / Flickr
Because of this, Mr Burnham said that ‘it does make sense’ to consider changes on a borough by borough basis, so as not to ‘hold back’ areas and local businesses in places which are less affected by coronavirus.
However, the mayor added that while the idea of changing tiers on a borough basis had some merit, there was also still a case for the whole region to go down into Tier 2.
Mr Burnham urged ministers to give Greater Manchester the ‘wider consideration’ they gave London when making the tiering decisions, following the prediction that 100,000 people could lose their jobs in our region by June 2021.
He said: “This is a critical time for the economy, particularly the city-centre economy. If you were to keep cities in Tier 3 over the holiday period, it does have the effect of creating an incentive for people to have more informal gatherings in the home.”
This news comes after it was announced that London now has the highest infection rate in the country, after it narrowly avoided going into Tier 3 just two weeks ago.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said the government will be re-assessing the current tiers next Wednesday, December 16th, before making an announcement on December 17th.
The current infection rates for Greater Manchester’s boroughs, per 100,000 of the population:
- Bury – 225.7 (+5%)
- Rochdale – 215.4 (-19%)
- Wigan – 187.1 (-12%)
- Manchester – 169.9 (-10%)
- Bolton – 163.5 (-26%)
- Oldham – 153.5 (-33%)
- Salford – 129.8 (-17%)
- Tameside – 117.9 (-20%)
- Stockport – 113.5 (-18%)
- Trafford – 85.1 (-30%)
In comparison, the national average in England currently sits at 152.1, with London’s infection rate now confirmed at 192.
We’re pleased to announce that Proper Manchester is rebranding as Finest City Guides.
As part of this change, the Proper Manchester brand, including its social media channels, will transition to the Finest City Guides name.
This is a rebrand of the existing platform rather than a new or unrelated business. The same team behind Proper Manchester will continue to operate Finest City Guides as we develop the platform under its new identity.
Previous name: Proper Manchester
New name: Finest City Guides
Our social channels and other brand assets will be updated to reflect the Finest City Guides name as part of this transition.
More from Finest City Guides coming soon.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
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