Residents urged to ‘Shop Local’ as extension to opening hours announced
Published Wednesday, 02 December 2020
Residents are being urged to support their local shops as businesses reopen today (December 2) across Hinckley and Bosworth as the borough moves into Tier 3 restrictions.
National restrictions ended yesterday meaning that from today all retail and non-essential retail can open for business.
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council wants local people to use their local shops across the borough in the run up to Christmas and help support local traders.
It is running its ‘Love Local, Shop Local’ Christmas campaign to help get the message to people. We are also being supported by the Hinckley BID.
Council Leader, Councillor Stuart Bray said:
The retail sector has been hit hard by the pandemic so this is a great opportunity for people to offer their support by finding inspiration among the many unique and amazing shops we have on our own doorstep. During this difficult time we know that many local independent businesses have had to adapt quickly to provide online sales, click and collect services, local deliveries and more, so let’s support them!
We want to make it easier for customers to find local businesses and help everyone to shop local for food and gifts. The new directories are an excellent source of information to help residents find these innovative local suppliers.
More about love local, shop local
Retailers have also been handed another boost after the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, announced the relaxation of local restrictions to enable retail opening hours to be extended in England for Christmas. Planning rules limiting opening hours will be eased to allow shops to be open for longer Monday to Saturday.
While being a boost to business, these measures will help ease transport pressures and make socially distanced shopping easier by giving people greater flexibility to choose when they shop and avoid peak times.
The Borough Council was preparing to operate a flexible approach to support local retailers and so welcome the announcement and would be understanding of retailers wishing to extend their hours.
However, shops were encouraged to consider the impact of any extended hours on their neighbours in terms of noise, queues, deliveries, lighting and anti-social behaviour, particularly late at night.
For more about the extending shop hours (GOV.UK)