News and Views

People in Cumbria are once again being urged to ‘think local’ and support the county’s businesses as further national restrictions are introduced in the run-up to Christmas.

Businesses across Cumbria in several sectors of the economy are now required to close during one of their most important periods of their trading year, following the Prime Minister’s announcement on Saturday.

To reduce social contact, the Government has ordered that certain businesses and venues close, from 00.01 on Thursday, November 5, until Wednesday, December 2.

These include:

• all non-essential retail, including, but not limited to clothing and electronics stores, vehicle showrooms, travel agents, betting shops, auction houses, tailors, car washes, tobacco and vape shops.
• indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, leisure centres and gyms, sports facilities including swimming pools, golf courses and driving ranges, dance studios, stables and riding centres, soft play facilities, climbing walls and climbing centres, archery and shooting ranges, water and theme parks.
• entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, adult gaming centres and arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, concert halls, zoos and other animal attractions, botanical gardens.
• personal care facilities such as hair, beauty and nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services, non-medical acupuncture, and tanning salons.

Food shops, supermarkets, garden centres and certain other retailers providing essential goods and services can remain open.

Jo Lappin, Chair of the Business and Economic Response and Recovery Group (BERRG), part of the Local Resilience Forum structure, said: “The latest announcement from Government means that businesses in those sectors that need to close will face further serious challenges, in what has already been a very difficult trading year.

“It also comes at a time when many of these businesses were looking forward to the Christmas period to give a much needed boost to their finances after the first lockdown.

“Many have already shown tremendous resilience, innovation and creativity to adapt the way that they do business and provide services to their customers. Examples include shops developing their online presence or establishing click and collect facilities and restaurants and cafes switching to takeaway services.”

Mrs Lappin, Chief Executive of the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, added: “These businesses were there for us when we needed them during the earlier phases of the pandemic. Now, we need to be there for them once again.

“Where it’s possible to do so, we strongly urge the people of Cumbria to rally round local businesses that have found ways to continue through the lockdown.

“Once the lockdown ends, there will be no better way to celebrate than by enjoying once again the fantastic range of businesses that Cumbria has to offer in our retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism sectors.”