One Greater Manchester council is facing a massive £64m budget shortfall

direct to your inboxRochdale council has dropped its vote on the region's controversial ‘spatial framework’ masterplan, with one chief admitting the blueprint is now ‘dead’.Councillors were due to decide whether to sign up to the joint-strategy for housing and businesses at a meeting next week. It comes after elected members in Stockport voted against the long-term development plan, effectively killing it off in its intended 10-borough form.

direct to your inboxRates of coronavirus have been falling for a number of weeks in Greater Manchester. In fact, a number of neighbourhoods in the region are almost Covid free, according to the Government's coronavirus map.

hereAnd earlier this week it emerged that the rate in Greater Manchester was lower than the rate in London on the day the capital was placed under Tier 2 rules while we were put under tougher Tier 3 restrictions.The gap between our region and the capital has continued to widen, according to the latest data released by Public Health England this afternoon.London now has a infection rate per 100,000 people of 182.6, compared with the rate of 159.2 in Greater Manchester.It was hoped that the

direct to your inboxForty-six more people have died in Greater Manchester's hospitals after contracting coronavirus.The latest NHS figures bring the region's hospital death toll to 3,833.Thirteen more Covid-19 deaths were recorded by Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in their 24 hour data.The trust's figures include those for the Royal Oldham, Rochdale Infirmary, Fairfield General and North Manchester General.The Royal Bolton Hospital recorded 12 new deaths while Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh

“The COVID-19 vaccination programme is the single biggest immunisation programme in the history of the NHS and we are absolutely privileged and excited that our Salford Royal site and group is one of the first in the country to receive the vaccine and be at the forefront of its delivery in Greater Manchester.

Sign up to the MySalford newsletter and don't miss a thing happening in and around the cityPictures show the first patient in Greater Manchester receiving the Covid-19 vaccine - a watershed moment in the fight against coronavirus. Ted, aged 86, received the jab at Salford Royal Hospital, one of 50 hospital hubs in the UK to administer the jabs on Tuesday.The landmark moment was captured on camera as the inoculation programme began.Salford Royal and Stepping Hill in Stockport are two of the 50

direct to your inboxTrafford council’s vote on Greater Manchester’s development and employment masterplan has been dropped. Following neighbouring borough Stockport voting down the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework masterplan last week, Trafford council has decided ‘there is no point’ discussing the matter at its full meeting tomorrow night.

direct to your inboxChristmas 2020 is already shaping up to be a very different festive season.With much of the country still under severe restrictions after the lifting of lockdown last week, many traditions have had to be put on hold this year.But one thing we know won't change is the selfless work of the region's many Christmas heroes.Every year, the M.E.N celebrates the people who are working on the frontline during the festive period - and this year, that's never felt more important.

direct to your inboxThe gap between the coronavirus infection rate in Greater Manchester and London is beginning to widen.On Sunday, the M.E.N reported that the rate of infection in the capital on the day the country was moved into separate tiers was in fact higher than our area.Whilst cases were falling across our conurbation when the country come out of lockdown, positive tests were rising in London.In the week ending December 3, the infection rate in London climbed from 169.32 to 173.7 per

direct to your inboxEighteen more people have died from coronavirus in Greater Manchester's hospitals.The region's hospital death toll has now risen to 3,787, the latest NHS figures show.Thirteen new deaths were recorded at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, the organisation in charge of the Manchester Royal Infirmary, Wythenshawe Hospital, Saint Mary's and the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed four new deaths.

direct to your inbox The latest coronavirus infection rates for every local authority in England have been released.

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direct to your inboxTalks over the uncertain future of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) will continue, despite Stockport councillors voting against the proposals.Opposition groups argued that the long-delayed masterplan for jobs and housing favoured the needs of developers over residents, and would lead to unnecessary green belt development.Labour had hoped that by removing or scaling down schemes planned up to 2037, that it could appease Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, and the

direct to your inbox The latest coronavirus rates for each local authority in England over the last week have been revealed. Thursday's update of the rolling seven-day rate of new cases for the seven days to November 29 reveal which areas of the country are seeing reductions in infections - and the ones that are increasing.

Coronavirus infection rates are falling faster in Greater Manchester than at any time during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest data from Public Health England.The rate for the Greater Manchester region is now 246.9, the lowest it has been since the end of September.There were exactly 7000 confirmed cases in Greater Manchester for the week ending November 23, which is 3,796 fewer cases than in the previous week.That represents a week-on-week fall of 35.2 per cent, the highest

The latest infection rates for Greater Manchester are:Oldham 366.9, down 31pcRochdale 342.2, down 32pcWigan 301.2, down 27pcBury 300.5, down 33pcBolton 294.6, down 32pcSalford 246.5, down 42pcManchester 245.3, down 32pcTameside 241.1, down 36pcStockport 204.5, down 36pcTrafford 169.4, down 45pcThe national average in England is 202.4 per 100,000 population.Trafford is the only Greater Manchester borough to sit below the national average with 169.4 per 100,000.There were 661 positive tests across

Manchester council has thrown its weight behind the beleaguered regional masterplan for jobs and housing - despite uncertainty over its future.With no end in sight to the political standoff in Stockport, plans to approve the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) have been postponed in Salford, Trafford, Oldham, Rochdale and Bury.Councillors in Manchester were told this week that there was a ‘very high risk’ that the GMSF would not get the support it needed.Under the proposals the city

The latest infection rates for Greater Manchester are:Oldham 388.4, down 30pcRochdale 360.6, down 31pcBury 314.1, down 33pcBolton 306.4, down 31pcWigan 304.6, down 30pcSalford 260.0, down 42pcManchester 249.6, down 34pcTameside 249.4, down 37pcStockport  208.6, down 37pcTrafford 170.6, down 50pc Stockport's transmission rate has dropped below the national average too, with a rate of 208.6 - down 37pc in the week ending November 21.Overall, rates are falling faster in every Greater Manchester

Manchester Evening News has seen an early internal planning document circulated within Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.