Boris' lockdown plans for July leave some Fylde coast firms angry but others relieved

Businesses who are going to be allowed to reopen from July 4 have said it will be a lifeline for the economy, but many others have been left frustrated at not being allowed to welcome back customers.

One such group of businesses left out in the cold are gyms and swimming teachers.

Charlotte Crabtree, 23, who has swum for Blackpool Amateur Swimming Club and went on to qualify as a teacher, has been without income since the lockdown started and now has no idea when she can return to work.

She said: “In November 2019 Charlotte-May’s School of Swimming opened, building up a client base of 150 swimmers a week before having to close in March due to COVID-19.

“As a newly founded business and being self employed I wasn’t entitled to any furlough pay and also couldn’t access any self employed grants due to no tax return being submitted yet, which has left me with no income for over three months.

“Following one of the previous lockdown announcements the impression was given that swimming pools would be probably be able to reopen from July 4.

"Both Swim England and the Swimming Teachers Association have provided in-depth guidelines on how we can return to lessons safely. It was frustrating to hear the announcement on Tuesday that swimming pools must stay closed and giving no indication of when they may reopen. However, it has been deemed safe for places such as pubs, restaurants, cinemas and arcades to reopen but I can’t run a one to one lesson in a sanitised, chlorine filled pool.”

Rob Ward from YourGym in Lytham, which has been running online and outdoor workout sessions for customers in the lockdown, said the lack of clarity in the announcement was frustrating, but he was hoping rumours were true that the Government might soon announce they will be able to open two weeks after everyone else on July 4.

He said: “It was disappointing for so many people, but what we need right now is a date when we can reopen. Without that we cannot prepare.

“We have put measures in place in our gym.

“It is clean normally, but it’s even cleaner now.

“We will restrict the number of people in at any one time, people will have their own station and there will be no sharing of equipment. There are a lot of myths such as Covid being spread through sweat which have no facts to back them up. Gyms have high ceilings and we will have doors and windows open for air flow and we are confident we can reopen safely, but we just need a date.”

Tattoo studios too will not be allowed to open despite generally having fewer customers in at any time than hairdressers.

Przemek Malachowski from the Inkden Studio in Blackpool said: “Considering tattoo studios already practice daily routines to stop cross contamination, it does not make sense.

“We have a five star hygiene rating and separate sections for each artist station which we can close off from others as we already practice this when we are tattooing people who like their own privacy.

“The most damaging thing for us tattoo artists is that there are no dates when we can start planning to book our customers and get our studio back on the right track.”

But hospitality businesses are relieved that the visitor economy in the county can get back to normality.

Claire Smith from Stay Blackpool said: “I’m so relieved that included in the re-opening date of July 4 for B&Bs, guesthouses, hotels and apartments are also attractions, pubs, cafes and restaurants.

“It’s absolutely essential that Blackpool is able to provide the full package because that’s why visitors come here. Every seaside resort and city is now going to be vying for business so as a town we really need to pull together a great marketing campaign.

“We need to get the message out there that we’ve got miles of glorious beach, wide open promenade and clean sea air to complement our wonderful accommodation and attractions, that Blackpool is now open and that Blackpool is a clean and safe place to visit.

“It’s going to be all about ensuring visitors feel confident to come back and the extension of the Illumination Season together with the Pleasure Beach opening Winter Weekends to mid-December will be essential to our recovery because that confidence will need time to build.

Rachel McQueen, from Marketing Lancashire, said: “While there remain a number of caveats in place, we can do nothing but welcome the news that the Government is allowing the tourism and hospitality sector to re-open from July 4, and that they have taken the challenging yet necessary decision to reduce the minimum social distancing requirement from two metres to one metre.

“Marketing Lancashire submitted evidence last week to the DCMS Select Committee calling for just these measures, as well as others.

“Frustratingly, we are still awaiting the specific guidance and we are actively chasing that.

“However, we are very much looking forward to working with the sector to encourage consumers back out into our incredible tourism and hospitality venues in a safe and responsible way.”