It’s Good To Be Back
Like other towns and cities around the country, Preston is starting to get back to business
The last four months have been difficult for retailers and businesses alike, with many having to adapt. However, walking down Preston high street, it was good to see people out shopping safely and supporting their local economy.
As the phased opening of companies begins after three and a half months of lockdown, unfortunately the way we shop and do business will have to change. Queues outside stores due to restricted numbers inside, face masks, hand sanitisers and booking of tables at pubs and restaurants will all become the norm, for quite a while at least. Not to mention office workers may still work from home with meetings continuing to be online.
When non-essential retailers first opened in Preston, shops such as Primark and Sports Direct saw massive queues as people were desperate to splash the cash.
The council has also been working closely with partners to successfully reopen the city as restrictions have been lifted. A number of temporary changes to traffic in the centre have been made to help people maintain social distancing and prioritise walking and cycling due to continued restrictions on public transport.
“We want people to come into Preston,” said the city council’s chief executive Adrian Phillips. “It is really good to see the city centre busy again.
It is good to see economic activity back, with lots of shops open and busy.
“Obviously, safety comes first. But we are encouraging people to come in and spend their money and enjoy being in the city centre, because businesses need people to spend money to survive and flourish and that’s what we want to happen.”
Pubs and restaurants have been the latest outlets to open, followed by hairdressers and beauty salons, all of which play a massive part in the economy and provide a much-needed boost to the visitors and residents of Preston.
Preston Bid is running a campaign ‘We’ve missed you’ encouraging people to come back into the city, but to ensure they adhere to the social distancing and hygiene guidelines and to check the website wevemissedyou.co.uk before visiting for opening times, planning your journey and what to expect when you arrive.
While getting back up and running is going to take some time, everyone has their part to play in helping it along the way, to ensure a visit to the city is as safe and enjoyable as possible.
