Coronavirus business update: Latest news across the North West

Cheshire East Council is stepping up its focus on active travel as part of its plans to support the borough through the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past few weeks town and parish councils and local ward members have submitted more than 500 local ideas as to what measures may work in their towns and villages.

The council is now developing a series of projects, informed by these ideas, that will be delivered this Summer, including:

● Pop-up cycle lanes, with protected spaces for cycling;

● Measures to reduce rat-running in streets;

● Improved walking and cycling routes to school;

● Safer junctions, with the potential for bus and cycle-only corridors;

● Implementing lower speed limits; and

● Wider pavements, which also enables social distancing.

Cllr Laura Crane, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for highways, said: “I would like to reiterate my thanks to everyone who has worked with us so quickly to submit ideas and proposals regarding active travel on behalf of our towns and villages.

“People’s travel behaviour has changed during the lockdown. We have seen an increase in more people walking and cycling in our borough and as more people turn to these active ways of travel, we need to work together to provide safe spaces for people to carry out these journeys.

“We will continue to work with the town and parish councils to develop, review and refine these measures.”

She added: “Due to the short timescales surrounding these schemes, any implementation will be done on an experimental basis. This means we can amend and improve the schemes as we go, before anything permanent is put into place.

“Our aim is to deliver schemes that are right for each town and developed in partnership with each local area.”

Cllr Suzie Akers Smith, Cheshire East Council’s walking and cycling champion, said: “There are long-term benefits to our health and environment by taking up daily active travel throughout our borough.

“There has never been a better time to walk or cycle – especially shorter journeys included as part of our daily activity or Footstep Friday and Cycle Saturday for weekly journeys. This type of activity helps to forge greener habits.

“Not only will the uptake of active travel reduce congestion and improve air quality across the borough, they will help us tackle our ambition to fight climate change.”

Detailed plans for active town measures are being developed now and will be published ahead of their implementation on the council website over the coming weeks.

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Rishi Bhatia

Rishi Bhatia, from pharmacy chain Scorah Chemists, has successfully completed his charity fundraising challenge in May.

He ran 210 miles, the equivalent of five marathons, across the month, smashing his original target of four marathons.

In completing this challenge he has raised £3,190 and has been able purchase 20,000 individual items of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for key workers in 13 care homes around the Stockport area.

He originally hoped to raise £1,000, with that target reached within the first weekend, he then increased the target to £2,500.

The money raised has purchased at total of 4,500 masks, 13,550 gloves, 81,000ml of hand gel, and 36,000ml of hand lotion. In addition to this the chain also received a donation of 250 face visors from Nebular Cloud, and donations from Tetley Tea and Yorkshire tea totaling 9,000 tea bags.

And to ensure that everyone has a treat to go with their cup of tea, Rishi also purchased a total of 9,000 biscuits as a thank you to all carers and key workers in local care homes who are providing care to the most vulnerable members of the community during this challenging time.

Each care home has now received their pack of PPE supplies and tea break treats.

Collette Adderley, registered manager at Abbeyfield Care Home, Bramhall, said: “We would like to say a very big thank you to Rishi for thinking of the care homes through the unprecedented times that we are all going through at present. Rishi and his team have continued providing the home with excellent service during a period when they themselves must have been dealing with their own obstacles.”

Rishi said: “I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone that supported me and for the kind wishes and generous donations.”

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Dr Arif Rajpura

Blackpool Council’s leading health expert has welcomed the further easing of lockdown restrictions to boost the local economy – but cautioned against complacency.

Having eased the restrictions on non-essential retail last week, it is widely anticipated that the Government will start to open up the tourism and hospitality industry from July 4, with a possible reduction in the social distancing guidance from two metres to one.

This move comes as a result of the national COVID-19 alert level being reduced from four to three as infection levels have started to fall across the UK.

Dr Arif Rajpura, Director of Public Health for Blackpool Council, said: “The decline in the number of deaths and infection rates is to be welcomed and it does seem that community transmission is receding at local level.

“However, that does not mean that there is any room for complacency.

“As we move into the next phase of the pandemic and there is a further easing of restrictions to facilitate economic recovery, it remains of vital importance that people continue to respect and adhere to all social distancing and hygiene advice. Similarly, it is important that businesses that are now starting to open up do so in a safe way and follow all COVID-Secure guidance.

“Despite the progress we have made, this pandemic has not gone away and the public should be aware that during this recovery phase there will be isolated, very localised outbreaks. That is to be expected and should not be a cause for panic or alarm.”

Dr Rajpura said that, along with other local authorities, Blackpool had established an Outbreak Management Hub that would deal with any localised outbreaks in a calm and measured way.

He added: “This hub will be there to support the Government’s Test, Track and Trace programme in order to control any outbreaks and minimise risk to the wider community.”

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