Mansfield District Council chief reveals plans for next stage of Covid recovery

Hayley Barsby said the pandemic had impacted the whole community but council’s aim throughout had always been to sustain critical services whilst keeping staff and customers safe.

She praised council staff for achieving this, adding that nearly all the council’s services were now functioning again and many businesses had re-opened.

She also said council car parks would remain free until September, with the possibility of half-price parking continuing after that until January, and many council staff would still work from home.

She said: "In order to reduce non-essential close contact, we will be asking for digital first and self-service online through our portal.

"For those customers that require personal contact and face to face support, we will be offering video conferencing appointments or the option to book an appointment with officers on set days.

“Around October, we will look to reopen Mansfield Museum and the Palace Theatre.

"We’ll be looking to offer more than performing arts with those venues helping communities to be resilient – we’re planning a new future for our cultural services.

“By September we will have also set out our plans to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government regarding the £1 million capital fund we have been allocated for the town, to sit alongside the town centre masterplan, the Towns Fund and Future High Streets Fund.

“We remain mindful of containing the virus and deliver our element of the local outbreak control plans.

"This means that, if needed we can work with government and our county colleagues to bring about a local lockdown and we have plans in place for this.”