26.05.20
£50m funding for councils to safely reopen non-essential retail
High Streets Minister Simon Clarke announced a £50m boost yesterday (May 26) for councils across the country to safely reopen their high streets and other retail spaces.
Non-essential retail businesses, which have remained closed throughout lockdown, are preparing to reopen when scientific advice says they can.
The fund, which will come through the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund, will give councils the financial support they need to introduce a variety of safety measures to reopen safely.
New safety measures will include new signs, street marking and temporary barriers to ensure social distancing measures are implemented where possible.
The reopening of non-essential shops is essential to kick-starting local economies as people return to work and the high street for shopping.
Local marketing campaigns will also be developed by councils to highlight the new changes and reassure the public that these sites are safe to visit.
The Government has given June 1 as the date they wish to reopen non-essential retail, providing the science supports these plans, with further details to be published shortly.
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High Streets Minister Simon Clarke MP said:
“As we begin to slowly return to normality, the re-opening of our high streets will be key to kick-starting our economic recovery.
“Levelling up the regions and supporting our high streets has always been central to the mission of this Government.
“Many businesses have already introduced creative ways of trading such as contactless collection or taking orders by instant messaging and this shows that they are ready for the challenges ahead.
“That’s why we are providing an extra £50 million for councils to support a range of safety measures that will help get these businesses back on track and ensure that people can enjoy their time visiting their local high street safely again.”
The £50m in funding comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and will be made available to councils from June 1.
Look out for the next issue of PSE magazine for a feature from Minister Simon Clarke on supporting high streets and towns.
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