Blackpool leader: 'Tell us how we ever get out of Tier 3 and save our tourism industry'

Lynn Williams warned that the tourism and hospitality industries needed some level of certainty if they were to be in a position ever to recover.

As The Gazette first revealed earlier this morning, Blackpool - along with the rest of Lancashire - will remain subject to Tier 3 rules following a government review of the system.

The resort’s director of public health had called for the resort to be shifted into Tier 2 - which would have allowed hospitality venues to reopen.

Instead, pubs and restaurants will continue to be restricted to takeaway service only and household mixing in all indoor and most outdoor settings will remain banned.

Cllr Williams said it was “disappointing that the government is not willing to recognise the different circumstances within Lancashire”.

“We are finding it increasingly difficult to understand how we can ever move into a lower tier if we are always going to be harnessed to other geographical areas.

“Our infection rates are significantly lower than when we were originally placed in Tier 3 and are now lower than places that are designated as Tier 2.

“Our argument throughout is that there should be a consistent and proportionate approach to the tier system, one that mitigates against the risk of increased infection but also one that allows our economy to open up in a safe and controlled manner.

“We have tourism businesses that were ready to reopen with COVID-safe shows and entertainment this weekend based on a much-improved situation. All of that time and effort has been wasted, and consumer confidence will once again ebb away,” Cllr Williams said.

In the latest data, Blackpool and Fylde are amongst seven areas of the county to have a lower rolling seven-day case rate than they did on 26th November, when the first post-lockdown tiering announcement was made - while the rate in Wyre has slightly increased over the same period. All three areas are significantly below the Lancashire average in the week to 13th December.

However, Blackpool has a higher over-60s case rate than the county average - 187.8 cases per 100,000 people in that age group, compared to 179.3 across Lancashire and 133.0 England-wide, in the seven days to 11th December.

Wyre stands at 169.5 in that section of the population, while Fylde has the lowest over-60s rate in Lancashire at 103.4.

That measure was one of the key criteria on which the government based its review - along with case numbers in the general population and an assessment of pressure on the NHS.

Cllr Williams appealed for clarity for business about exactly what needs to happen in order for the town to drop down a tier.

“The tourism and hospitality industry simply cannot continue to function with this level of uncertainty, not knowing whether they should be planning for closure or planning for reopening.

“There might be sectors where economic activity can be turned on and off at a couple of days’ notice, tourism is not one of them. If our tourism and hospitality industry is to have any chance of recovery in 2021 the Government needs to set out a very clear and unambiguous route map that allows businesses to plan ahead.”

The Prime Minister said yesterday that the five-day Christmas relaxation of the tiering rules will still go ahead from 23rd December. However, Lancashire's director of public health has urged caution over the permitted mixing between up to three households.

"The virus will not be taking a break for Christmas," Dr. Sakthi Karunanithi said.

Scott Benton, MP for Blackpool South, paid tribute to the hard work of locals in driving down the case rate in the resort.

He added: “It remains bitterly disappointing that, in spite of the progress that we have made in Blackpool, the infection rate in other parts of Lancashire remains stubbornly high. It is for this reason that the decision has been taken to leave the whole of Lancashire in Tier 3.

!Over the last few weeks, I have been robustly making the case to ministers that local authorities should be treated on their own merits. It is very disappointing that Lancashire has been treated as a whole once again and that Blackpool is being penalised for the situation elsewhere.

“It is hoped that the rollout of the vaccine and mass community testing which is now taking place across Lancashire, including in Blackpool, will reduce infection rates further and enable us to move to Tier 2.

“I will also continue to push for further support – in addition to the existing government support packages – for our local businesses and tourism industry,” Mr, Benton said.