Published 11th June 2020

A ‘Shop Local, Shop Safe’ campaign has been launched ahead of the wider re-opening of shops on Monday 15 June.

Over recent weeks Southend Business Improvement District (BID), councillors and officers from Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Leigh Town Council, the seafront traders association, Essex Chambers of Commerce and other local businesses have been working together to deal with the Government’s relaxation of lockdown measures and ensure that the Borough is a safe place to visit and shop.

The group is working hard to help our local economy bounce back stronger than ever and help businesses to reopen safely and keep residents safe too.

Local businesses have been provided with signs, poster templates and guidance, and hundreds of public signs are also being put up in shopping areas across the Borough.

In central Southend, welcoming hosts and sanitisation stations will be available for shoppers and people will be encouraged to keep left.

In Leigh-on-Sea, there will be a small number of parking bays suspended in Broadway West outside the bakers, butchers and greengrocers; on Elm Road outside the fishmongers and fish & chip shop; and on Rectory Grove outside the bakers and health food shops. These have been identified as potential ‘pinch points’ for queues and this will create more space for people to safely queue.

Other areas will be monitored carefully and any necessary measures to help keep people safe will be brought in if necessary.

Shoppers are also being asked to ‘stay safe, stay apart’, and respect measures and staff in place working to keep people safe. The group is also asking people to shop local and to expect a different shopping experience for the time being.

Labour Councillor Kevin Robinson, the Council’s cabinet member for Business, Culture & Tourism, says: “The group has been working very hard to help our local economy bounce back and I want to thank everyone for their efforts. With wider reopening next week, this is the ideal time to encourage people to shop local and shop safe.”

Link to Instagram Link to Twitter Link to YouTube Link to Facebook Link to LinkedIn Link to Snapchat Close Fax Website Location Phone Email Calendar Building Search