Calls to 'shop local' as Mansfield town centre prepares for ‘new normal’

Mansfield District Council is working with businesses, Mansfield BID, Four Seasons Shopping Centre and others including Nottinghamshire County Council’s Highways team to ensure the town centre is safe as traders reopen today (Monday).

The former re-opening of Mansfield Market on June 5 and now the wider town centre, is supported by £97,256 from the European Regional Development Fund.

The council points out that shopping will be a “ different experience” since retailers closed on March 23.

New measures include hand sanitiser stations, one-way systems and queues to enable people to keep two metres apart. People are also advised to follow guidance on signs, banners and floor markings.

A limited number of people can enter shops at a time, customers may have to wait outside and where there is limited space for queuing, entrances of neighbouring businesses must not be blocked. Customers are asked not to join a queue if it has reached capacity but return later.

Marshals will monitor pedestrian flow and advise. The council’s Neighbourhood Wardens are supporting Nottinghamshire Police to help keep the town centre safe.The council’s Environmental Health and Licensing teams and BID are advising businesses on implementing the Government’s COVID-secure guidelines. BID has produced a toolkit for businesses on its website.

Visitors are asked to: “shop safely and keep your distance, don’t shop if you show Covid-19 symptoms, wash hands regularly, follow signage in stores and around the town centre, face coverings should be worn in line with government guidance – and disposed of safely, shop safely and be respectful to colleagues, queue in allocated areas and leave a queue if you are asked to and ‘shop local.’”

Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams said: “We want people to support our businesses but it’s important we all follow the safety guidance to keep ourselves and loved ones safe.

“A report by Centre for Cities shows Mansfield is bucking the trend with higher than average footfall figures and is well placed for recovery, which is good news for the town centre in these difficult times.

“The safety measures are new to all of us and I’d encourage people to be patient and kind to each other as we all adjust.”

Nikki Rolls, Chief Executive of Mansfield BID, said: “Now is the time for people to shop local and support Mansfield businesses as the town centre prepares for our ‘new normal’.

“We’ve been working with business to help them welcome back their customers safely and the response from the high street has been fantastic.”

The public toilets in the Four Seasons are free. From Monday, they open from 9am to 4pm. The facilities at the Old Town Hall remain closed. Public toilets at Rose Lane, Mansfield Woodhouse, and High Street, Warsop are free and open from 8am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday.

All council’s pay and display car parks remain free. The Four Seasons and Walkden Street multi-storey car parks are closed. The steps from Toothill Lane car park to White Lion Yard remain closed.

See @MyMansfieldUK, @ILoveMansfield and @FourSeasonsShopping