Lancaster pub customers 'cautious and nervous' but no major issues reported as city council thanks district residents for response to reopening

And for those businesses that have not yet opened their doors, the council said it is on hand to support them with a new assurance audit service so they have confidence to do so in a manner that is safe not only for customers, but for their staff and themselves.

One Lancaster landlord said that customers and staff were "a little cautious and nervous at first", but things got easier as the weekend progressed.

The council has been working closely with businesses to support their plans and has visited more than 800 in the last few weeks, offering specific advice and gathering contact information.

The landlord said: "A few customers seemed to think things would be more or less normal, but most were aware in general of the new rules.

"I think a lot of people stayed away to see how it would go.

"Certainly the media forecast that it would be mayhem was not the case but it had a big negative effect, and the weather had a big impact.

"The pictures of Soho (London) on Saturday are not representative."

He said that for the most part customers behaved well and stuck to the rules, and that a "softly softly" approach seemed to work.

He added: "What can happen, is someone walking to the loo stops for a quick chat with someone they know.

"Handling that is sensitive.

"If it is 90 seconds say it would be rude to 'move them on', however if it goes on for several minutes the we would have to step in, but still it is a weird one.

"Certainly for the most part I think people 'just having a chat' with another group will be the most challenging behaviour to manage as it a bit of a grey area.

"Similarly, the situation of two tables sat close talking and getting closer as the day/evening moves on.

"We can handle it, but it is when you trying to keep customers and persuade them back out of their 15 week cocoons, strong arming them doesn't create the right atmosphere."

Posters and signage have been produced for venues to use and council officers were also out on Saturday night working alongside the police, conducting spot checks and compliance with the new rules.

This work will continue for a number of weeks to safeguard the public.

Coun Tim Hamilton-Cox, cabinet member with responsibility for sustainable economic prosperity, said the engagement work seemed to have worked well, with few problems reported at the weekend.

“The first opening weekend after lockdown appears to have gone well, with broad compliance with the government guidance from both venues and the public,” he said.

“That’s in no short thanks to our partnership with the police and also the good relationship we’ve developed through the Lancaster and Morecambe pub watch, which provided us with the opportunity for us to talk directly to businesses on control measures and interpretation of the guidance.

“I’d like to thank everyone for the way they have responded because there were no reports of any particular problems, although the poor weather over the weekend certainly seems to have played a part so it’s important not to be complacent.

“Coronavirus has not gone away so it's really important that we all maintain social distancing. Businesses have played their part, with some really good examples of how they have taken measures to keep customers safe, and we all need to continue to play our part by staying alert and observing the guidance.”

Chief Insp Chris Hardy, who oversees policing in Lancaster and Morecambe, added: “We will continue to work with our colleagues at the Local Authority to make sure that pubs and restaurants adhere to their licensing conditions and the rules and guidance set out by Government for safe opening.”

As part of its continued support to businesses the council has launched a Covid19 assurance audit service specifically to assist the hospitality sector open their businesses safely.

This could include:

• Covid Risk Assessments

• Infection control advice

• Staff safety, customer safety and controlling interaction between staff and customers

• Outside space and inside space management including queue management – inside/outside/toilets/neighbours

• Signage

• Entrance and exit points

• Managing children

• Capturing customer information to support track and trace

• Managing customer expectation

If you would like a council officer to visit your premises to provide advice please contact [email protected] to book your slot.

There are also details of grants on offer, free advice and support to help your business start, recover, grow and succeed, including specific advice for food businesses. You can also find useful information on the council’s website at: Lancaster.gov.uk/coronavirus.