Shoppers return to Calderdale towns as wardens deal with minor issues in centres

Calderdale Council has been monitoring footfall and the effectiveness of the additional safety measures introduced in towns across the borough.

Non-essential retailers were allowed to reopen, provided they could meet the COVID-19 secure guidelines.

The Council has supported this safe reopening by introducing temporary safety measures and providing a visible community warden presence to engage with customers and businesses.

All towns recorded a noticeable increase in visitors, with Halifax and Brighouse particularly busy.

The Council said in general, customers were patient and understanding and any minor issues were resolved quickly and easily.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Resources, Councillor Jane Scullion, said “COVID-19 has required us to completely rethink how we go about our daily lives and although we welcome the reopening of many more shops and local businesses, it’s important that this is done safely.

“In many of our town centres the only space available for us to expand pavements and allow for social distancing is the on-street parking bays. We’ve had to introduce these temporary changes quickly and we acknowledge that there may be some teething problems.

“I’d like to thank people for their patience and for adjusting to these changes quickly. We’ll continue to work with local residents and businesses and will adapt and change the schemes as necessary. We’ll also look to make these temporary measures more aesthetically pleasing, for example, by using planters.

“Our primary concern is people’s safety and the changes have been introduced to provide safe facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. We also want to support the long term economic future of our towns and the measures are an important part of assisting the wider reopening of further retail and hospitality businesses in the coming weeks and months.

“We want to ensure people feel safe and have confidence to go out and spend money in the local economy - helping to reinvigorate our town centres. All of the schemes will remain under review and we are listening to feedback to ensure that our work strikes the right balance.”

Community safety warden patrols will continue all week and feedback from businesses and customers will be reviewed. All the changes are temporary and the effectiveness of the measures will be regularly assessed. Further schemes will follow where appropriate as the COVID-19 recovery process continues.