Leighton Buzzard proud to welcome back non essential shops on Monday

Business Secretary Alok Sharma has stated that the move will “allow high streets up and down the country to spring back to life”, so long as they follow government safety guidelines and conduct risk assessments.

In LBO land, retailers have been busy preparing their stores to allow shoppers to maintain social distancing, while Central Bedfordshire and Leighton-Linslade Town councils are urging residents to support the economy whilst taking precautions and following shop rules.

Central Bedfordshire Councillor and Leighton-Linslade Town Council Mayor, David Bowater, said: "Myself and the Deputy Mayor with full regalia will be doing a stroll round the high street, keeping socially distant, and saying hello to shop keepers who are open.

"I think we've got to to stay optimistic, haven't we? We've got to get back to something that vaguely resembles normality.

"The Rotary Club have been funding the team from Vandyke Upper School who have been making masks, and the town council via the Rotary have been funding visors for shop workers and shop keepers to wear.

"I hope that members of the public will take notice of what the government has been saying and observe the two metre recommended rule."

Cllr Bowater is pleased that the high street is soon to be pedestrianised, as Central Bedfordshire Council is planning to introduce a temporary traffic measure.

He also hopes that the reduction in vehicle fumes will encourage people to make use of the extra outdoor seating when restaurants and cafes open.

Cllr Bowater added: "It will hopefully be in place within the next ten days.

"There are two alternative bus stops already in West Street, although they are not active at the moment.

"The West Bound one is close to the Citizen's Advice Bureau, and 50 years further down towards Tesco is the East Bound one. Central Bedfordshire Council is waiting for the bus company [Arriva] to respond to our requests.

"It's being put through in a hurry - it won't be perfect - but we're flexible. It's the first time that anyone has experienced a pandemic; let's face it, we're all learning."

Joining Cllr Bowater on his visit to the High Street will be Deputy Mayor of Leighton-Linslade Town Council, Farzana Kharawala.

Cllr Kharawala said: "We wish our retailers well and hope that they can get back into some sort of commercial viability and get things moving again. They are a really important part of our lives in Leighton-Linslade.

"I think we have a beautiful, vibrant high street with great individual traders and independent businesses. They have had to face the challenges thrust upon them and they have done incredibly well to ride that out.

"From what I have heard a good majority are planning to open if appropriate. We our very fortunate in our town that the public are really supportive of the community. They are really looking forward to being able to support individual businesses again."

She added: "If something doesn't feel safe, go and say what's not working. We are all learning at the moment; it's new for all of us and we wish all our retailers well."

One business looking forward to reopening on Monday is Adrienne's Flowers, based on Ropa Court.

Owner, Adrienne Lowther, said: "We have been really busy actually. We did close the shop [back in March] and I took everything home for the first three weeks. But then things got very busy so I got the girls back off furlough!

"We have had to rearrange the shop and put social distancing measures in place. We have been doing online ordering and telephone ordering, mainly delivering, and for the last couple of weeks we have been offering a collection service.

"It's been really good. Everyone has been really grateful to receive their deliveries."

Adrienne and her three staff members have all be working at different times during the lockdown, and now the final touches to the shop will be finished this weekend.

The team will be putting tape in place ready for Monday, which will remind everyone to adhere to the two metre rule.

Adrienne explained: "We've had to rearrange the shop because the flowers were towards the back; we have now moved them to the front window, so people don't have to come right in.

"We have also moved our consultation table right to the back. There's a screen in place at the till and we're all ready to go with the tape!

"I think we'll be fine. I know a lot of people are looking forward to reopening on Monday."

Meanwhile, up on Market Square, Stratton Food Hall has already been allowed to reopen and can provide some words of advice for those preparing for Monday.

Andrew Stanton, owner of Stratton Food Hall, told the LBO: "For us, we were on the front line from the very beginning. The business shut on the 18th/19th March but our online business went up ten times.

"We created a low cost isolation box which we delivered all over Leighton Buzzard. It went a long way towards helping the general public, especially when there wasn't anything left in the supermarkets.

"We opened last week, selling at the door, and this week [June 10] we opened on Tuesday for the first time to. We've got a system of traffic so you queue outside and three counter sections - barbecue, fresh meat and deli. There's only person person allowed at each counter.

"The last couple of weeks have been good, really positive, the general public have been really happy to be out there; they are relieved to be back out.

"The High Street will come back strong."

Mr Stanton would like to thank his staff on furlough and his "remarkable" core team.

Meanwhile, for any shopkeepers who are worried about social distancing causing problems, he added: "Everyone seems to be used to it. We've all got used to it one way or another and I think that it's been accepted."

However, not all shops will be able to reopen on Monday.

Gary Ison, owner of Gazza Records explained: "We've been closed since the 23rd March when the lockdown kicked in, but we have got an online shop as well so we have been trading online. I'm asthmatic and quite vulnerable, playing on the safe side.

"Our aim for opening is August 1. It's a long way off but that's what we are planning for.

"We have installed hand sanitiser, a sneeze guard at the front counter, gloves, and we will only allow one person at a time in the shop."

To obtain new stock, Gary would usually meet with people face to face, which currently presents a problem.

But he hasn't let the coronavirus stop his trade, with the online website still available and a click and collect service running. (Customers can collect records from the Crooked Crow Bar on Saturdays.) When he reopens there will be one person allowed in the premises at a time, and free coffee served in the queue outside in a disposable cup.

Gary wishes the town well for Monday and hopes it will help to bring some life back to the high street.

He added sadly: "When I did drive down the high street out of curiosity it was a ghost town."

However, looking on the bright side, Councillor Steve Jones, Leader of the Conservative Party, said: "Obviously it's welcome if we can get the businesses back as long as it's safe.

"We are going to close and change the high street but we're not the only part of Central Bedfordshire that the council is having to change. It's a high priority I would hasten to add. It's got be done and it's got to be done safely.

"We will not move the market back into the centre until the buses are out.

"I think there are changes that are happening and I think they could work in favour of the high street. I'm thinking in terms of people working at home. Where will they shop? The high street. I think businesses have realised how much can be done from home."

> In Tuesday's LBO, you can find out about how the reopening went. You will also discover more views on the easing of lockdown from MP Andrew Selous, chairman of LB First Gennaro Borrelli, Central Bedfordshire and Leighton-Linslade Town Councillors Amanda Dodwell and Victoria Harvey, and PCSO Rachel Carne.

https://www.adriennesflowers.co.uk/https://www.strattonfoodhall.online/https://www.facebook.com/gazzarecords