The Isle of Wight Council continues to offer guidance and support to lsland businesses as lockdown measures are eased.
As the government looks to restart the economy, the council’s regulatory teams – Trading Standards, Environmental Health, Licensing and Housing – are working hard to support Island employers get their businesses back up and running and workplaces operating as safely as possible.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that outdoor markets and car showrooms will be able to start trading again from 1st June – so long as they keep customers safe. All other non-essential retailers – including shops selling clothes, shoes, toys, furniture, books, and electronics, plus tailors, auction houses, photography studios, and indoor markets – can follow suit 2 weeks later, from 15th June.
Employers will face spot checks to make sure they are implementing social distancing, and have been told they must complete a risk assessment after consultation with trade unions and workers.
Amanda Gregory, the council’s strategic manager for regulatory and community safety services, said:
“Our teams have been incredibly busy throughout the coronavirus crisis, handling more than 200 enquiries and complaints.
“Now, as we move towards a new normal, we are keen to support businesses and advise on how best they can ensure they are Covid-secure.
“It’s not just about queues but about what the businesses need to put in place to ensure customer and staff safety.”
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The government has already published practical guidelines to make workplaces as safe as possible and give people confidence to go back to work during the pandemic.
The guidance includes 5 key steps to working safely which local businesses are urged to follow:
- Carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment.
- Develop cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures.
- Help people to work from home, where possible.
- Maintain two metre social distancing, where possible.
- Where people cannot be 2m apart, manage transmission risk.
Councillor Gary Peace, Cabinet member for community safety and public protection, said:
“Being ‘Covid-secure’ will become the test that businesses will need to meet, and we will be doing all we can to ensure Island businesses meet those requirements and ensure our community are kept safe.”
For further information, visit https://www.iow.gov.uk/Council/OtherServices/Public-Health-Coronavirus-COVID-19/Businesses-and-employers, email [email protected] or call 01983 823000.
Premises that must remain closed include:
- restaurants and cafes, other than for takeaway or delivery
- pubs, cinemas, theatres and nightclubs
- clothing and electronics stores
- hair, beauty and nail salons
- outdoor and indoor markets (not selling food)
- libraries, community centres, and youth centres
- indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, such as bowling alleys, gyms, arcades and soft play facilities
- some communal places within parks, such as playgrounds and outdoor gyms
- places of worship (except for funerals)
- hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, caravan parks, and boarding houses for commercial/leisure use, excluding use by those who live in them permanently, those who are unable to return home and critical workers where they need to for work.
perhaps the jobsworth pen pushers at the council should stick to making sure the bins are collected -after all, they are only working for the council, because they aren’t any good at business- in other words, their advice is of no use.
why are council officials who have no business acumen, offering advice to those in business – what do they know.
most business people do not need support from non business people – they know what to do – open the door, turn the sign to open and wait for customers to arrive.
Unless your a seasonal business, Wait for the visitors to arrive.
Because they are experts in ticking boxes, filling in the right forms and talking the talk. All the important stuff.
I have to correct you there…
“Filling in the right forms”
Sorry, don’t you mean filling in forms (most of them actually pretty useless forms).
The very idea of some Council “Official” going around with their clipboard and I.D. badge telling people that their business/shop is not operating in the correct social distancing manner is laughable.
To corrupt the well worn phrase, they couldn’t arrange festivities in a
brew-house.
Guidance and support from the council,
NOOO THAAANK YOOOU
Well I guess the comments ahead of this one sum up, perfectly, the general opinion of the inhabitants of County Hall. What is the old saying; go and teach your grandmother how to suck eggs.
The Council taking a leaf out of Bob Seely’s book and giving themselves a big pat on the back for doing nothing.
Can’t wait to buy a large cod and medium chips with curry sauce
And some foreskin rings
And pig balls and chicken depp fried anus
I love you all people
To the IW COUNCIL!!! clearn our pavements and curb cutters and drains,there is rubbish everywhere!What is going on?
instead of ingratiating theirselves into businesses and trying to take money from businesses – how about they focus on what they should be doing..
street cleaning
beach cleaning
household waste recycling
road repairs
cutting waste at the council
reducing council tax
getting rid of illegal workers
getting rid of those annoying buskers with loudspeakers -they are starting to appear again.
diligently reducing fake welfare claims.
cutting the council and public sector sponging off the private sector
increasing the green spaces and preventing housebuilders wrecking the environment further with crappy houses.
pushing environmental issues further up their agenda – making the island clean, fresh and tidy.
removing unwanted deadbeat drunks and junkies from the seafront areas
shutting down disruptive noisy, anti social pubs/bars and leaving the others open.
and getting the paperwork done, associated with the above on time and correctly.
Very well put anon
thanks steve
The council giving business advice and support what a joke they never took our advice about the floating bridge and look how much that has cost us looks like a lot of businesses in Newport will be going bust if they listen to the council’s business advice.
God help us?
I have been in lockdown for 9 weeks the first week I had calls from nhs hospital council letters galore nothing since am I and people in my condition forgotten I think we are
The Council couldn’t offer guidance to a Dog that couldn’t Bark. Waste of time the lot of them.
The council couldn’t offer guidance to a Dog that couldn’t Bark.