Sutton Scene - Deputy Leader of the Council Column 14/08/2020

Many of our shops and local businesses took a real hit when lockdown was in full force. Now that restrictions are gradually easing and more and more businesses are able to open, they have had to adapt to ensure they can offer a hygienic and safe environment for their customers.  

Our borough’s restaurants, cafes, pubs, shops and traders have all risen to the challenge and introduced one-way systems, sanitisers and are using face protection and barriers to enable them to welcome back customers.

We can all help our borough businesses if we #ShopLocal and support our smaller independent traders in particular. The atmosphere in pubs and restaurants may not be quite what we are used to, but it is still enjoyable and good to be able to get back to having a night or some time out.

The Council has also been keen to support local business and is pleased to have been one of the top boroughs for distributing the government grants to qualifying business. It has delivered an additional £1,250,000 of discretionary grants to those eligible smaller business that missed out under the other schemes. It has also been on hand to provide advice and guidance to businesses on how to open safely.

To ensure that businesses continue to trade and we can continue to use them, we need to avoid a second wave of the coronavirus. So when you visit your local shops, be sure to wear your face mask, wash your hands regularly, use the sanitiser provided and maintain social distancing. This way we can all help with the slow but steady return to normality.

Stay safe and enjoy the weekend.