LARGE queues formed outside some stores today as further easing of lockdown restrictions saw “non-essential” retailers open their doors for the first time in three months as Warrington town centre reopened for business.
There was a large queue outside Sports Direct on Riverside Retail Park with Town Centre Police advising shoppers to stick to social distancing. Queues were also reported outside Primark in Golden Square.
Warrington Borough Council has been working in partnership with various partners including Warrington Business Improvement District (BID), Golden Square Shopping Centre, Warrington’s Own Buses, Warrington Disability Partnership and the police to help the town centre get back to business, safely.
Robust plans have been put in place to support businesses as they resume trade, while protecting people’s health and wellbeing.
People coming into the town centre will see that a number of changes have been made to improve safety. These include highways improvements, increased support for cyclists and pedestrians and new safety signage to keep people safe as they move around the town centre.
•Highways
The council has created more space for cyclists and pedestrians coming into and out of the town centre, with the introduction of some one-way roads, changing some routes to prioritise cyclists, and installing temporary signage for traffic to improve safety.
There has been a surge in people cycling during the coronavirus pandemic and the council wants to support the continuation of the move towards active travel.
•Public transport
Warrington’s Own Buses is supporting safe, socially-distanced travel through on-board capacity limits of 25%, screens and sanitisers and personal protective equipment. Face coverings must be worn by all people travelling and customers are asked to use the exact change wherever possible.
•A safer town centre
Working with partners, businesses and particularly the Business Improvement District (BID), the council has introduced a number of measures to improve town centre safety.
There will be a range of new signage, directing people to navigate the town centre via a one-way route, to keep their distance from other shoppers and to stay left where possible. The signs include key messages such as ‘keep your distance, ‘stay left, stay safe’, ‘follow the designated one way’, and ‘maintain the gap’. This is particularly prominent in Golden Square, where a great deal of work has taken place to make the shopping centre as safe as possible.
Sports Direct on Riverside Retail busy at the moment please try and stick to social distancing #trylater #staysafe pic.twitter.com/JegkBLZqWn
— Warrington Town Centre Police (@WarrTownCentPol) June 15, 2020
