Readers want a steady return to going into town but warned high streets will not return to normal yet

People in the district want to see a safe and steady return to our high streets, according to readers who responded to our lockdown survey.
Lockdown surveyLockdown survey
Lockdown survey

Wakefield Council, businesses and the district’s civic societies have warned that big challenges are lay ahead and town centres will work very differently for the foreseeable future.

Forty-five of people in the Pontefract and Castleford areas who responded to our lockdown survey said they were looking forward to going shopping again.

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A further 64 per cent said they were looking forward to going to bars and restaurants, and 56 per cent said they were looking forward to going to the barber or hairdresser.

But 67 per cent of people who responded said measures should be lifted slowly.

Twenty-one per cent said high priority should be given to reopening high street shops and restaurants, 47 per cent said they should be a medium priority, and 32 per cent said low priority.

But questions remain over how a socially distanced high street would work in practice.

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Paul Cartwright, chairman of Pontefract Civic Society, said it will take a lot of work from everyone involved to keep our town centres functioning in a safe way.

He said: “Optimism, collective thinking and responsibility will be required during the phased exit from lockdown, whilst responding to advice from the UK government and Wakefield Council.

"To ensure businesses can re-emerge towards financial success, we must all play our part safely, whether employees, customers, and the local authorities.”

He said the shape and layouts of town centres would have to adapted to accommodate new ways of going about our lives.

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He said: “Health and safety in the Pontefract precinct and associated streets must go beyond Covid-19 social distancing measures, narrow pavements must be temporarily widened and Ropergate in particular should be closed to traffic between 10am and 4pm.

"Whilst there have been longstanding issues with failed rise and fall bollards, these have been fixed, and drivers must adhere to these rules to keep the pedestrian area traffic free, allowing for shop owners to plan their queuing areas working with the council.

"This will be a challenge when the outdoor market reopens fully.

“We believe that public events and festivals are unlikely in the short term, though Pontefract Civic Society is already preparing for a series of virtual events on Facebook, on the back of a very successful and engaging Virtual VE Day 75th Anniversary.”