£4.9m fund to prepare for safe reopening of Yorkshire high streets

A £4.9m fund for councils in Yorkshire to support their local high streets get safely back to business has been announced by the Government’s high streets Minister, MP Simon Clark.

To prepare for the reopening of non-essential retail, the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund will help councils in England introduce a range of safety measures in a move to kick-start local economies, get people back to work and customers back to the shops.

It will also support practical safety measures including new signs, street markings and temporary barriers.

Councils will also be able to use this money to develop local marketing campaigns to explain the changes to the public and reassure them that their high streets and other commercial areas are safe.

Clarke said: “As we begin to slowly return to normality, the re-opening our high streets will be key to kick-starting our economic recovery.

“Many businesses have already introduced creative ways of trading such as contactless collection or taking orders by instant messaging and shows that they are ready for the challenges ahead.

“That’s why we are providing an extra £4.9m for councils across Yorkshire to support a range of safety measures that will help get these businesses back on track and ensure that people can enjoy their time visiting their local high street safely again.”

The funding comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) that the Government is making available to councils to support businesses to re-open safely following guidance published on 13 May to help adapt urban centres and green spaces for social distancing during the pandemic.

The money, totalling £50m in England will be allocated to councils on a per capita basis and will be ready to spend from 1 June 2020.