Fleetwood businesses sit tight and wait until lockdown finally ends

But small businesses there say they are having to sit tight until the coronavirus lockdown restrictions come to an end – and hope things will be back to normal by summer.

The pandemic came on the tail end of another challenge for businesses, a succession of violent storms which battered the country in February and kept many potential customers indoors.

After a harsh start to 2020, an unprecedented lockdown was the last thing businesses needed as they were literally obliged to shut up shop on the orders of the Government.

They agree the shutdown was needed, but they hope it won’t last too long - and definitely before the end of their main trading period.

Craig McOmish runs a successful business, Fleetwood Beach Kiosk, selling ice cream, hot drinks and cold snacks.

He said: “As soon as the Government announced the lockdown two weeks ago, I shut the kiosk.

“I had been trading well at the start of March, and customers were keeping their two metre distance, I was glad to get going again after the bad weather.

“But the lockdown changed everything and I didn’t want to be encouraging people to come to the beach when they were supposed to stay safe.

“It has been tough but we will just sit it out and hopefully things can return to normal by the end of July.”

He says Government assistance in the form of grants, paid via local authorities, and a new ‘furlough’ employment initiative have helped them to cope with being closed to the public.

Craig said: “Credit to Wyre Council, they sorted it out so quickly.”

Various Government grants have been made available, via local councils, from £10,000 to £25,000, to help eligible rate-paying businesses affected by the virus outbreak over the next three months.

In addition, the newly launched ‘furlough’ scheme means that instead of firms laying staff off due to the lockdown crisis, the Government will pay up to 80 per cent of employees’ wages for up to three months, up to a maximu

At the Harbour Lights amusements further down The Esplanade, boss Lee Preston-Stefani admits these are unusual times - but he is grateful for the financial help the Government has offered..

He said: “It’s been a bit strange not being at work. At this time of year things would just start to be warming up at the arcade.

“It’s been a big help to get the grant from the Government and I have furloughed a couple of the lads.

“It’s not ideal but if everyone follows the guidelines I’m hoping we can get back to normal by summer.”

Katherine Platt, who runs gift shop Mary, Tom and Friends with her mum helping out, moved to her current premises on The Esplanade late last year.

There had already been the drama of a car smashing into her previous shop unit on nearby North Albert Street, then terrible weather after moving into the new shop - and now the lockdown.

She says: “I’ve put in a grant application and now it’s just a waiting game – there may be some weird obstacle that stops me getting it so I am a bit anxious about the business still being there at the end of all this.

“As a business we rely a lot of passing trade, so I’ve never really needed to use our website until now and it’s not perfect.

“The worst thing is not knowing how long it will last but our customers have been brilliant.”

Wyre Council leader Coun David Henderson said: "Wyre Council has been working around the clock to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

"It is expected that around 3,000 businesses will be eligible for the grants and we are doing everything we can to ensure these businesses receive their grants as quickly as possible.

"We would urge businesses who have not yet applied to do so as soon as possible by completing the form on our website at www.wyre.gov.uk/businesssupport."