Town’s businesses face biggest battle to date

Town Hall chiefs held a second coronavirus leadership briefing for the public on Monday, just hours before the strict new measures for the borough came into force.

The council’s director of public health Thara Raj delivered a boost after confirming people who work in other households can continue to do under the new restrictions.

But while it is permitted, she emphasised the importance of maintaining social distance, having good hand hygiene and wearing a face covering.

Council leader Cllr Russ Bowden told residents the restrictions will be in place for ‘as long as needed’, subject to reviews and regular discussions with the Government.

He said: “Initially, in discussions with Government we are certainly talking about two weeks – and then having weekly reviews after that.

“Obviously, the key benchmark for that is going to be the number of new cases of Covid-19 in Warrington as we move forward.”

The Labour politician also said the last six months have been difficult for everyone, while highlighting the importance of protecting the public, economy and frontline workers.

Steve Park, the council’s director of growth, emphasised that businesses want clarity amid the ongoing uncertainty.

He added: “At the minute there is a bit of a lack of clarity so I understand a lot of anxiety that is out there with business.

“It’s certainly undermined business confidence in large parts of the economy in Warrington and to some extent I think it’s been the biggest battle that they’ve had to face.

“But despite the ongoing battle, Warrington’s economy remains broadly resilient as it has proven to be so many times in the past – either with the recent uncertainty through Brexit, or before that the economic crash which was just about a decade ago now.

“So I’m confident that once again our economy will bounce back and the entrepreneurial spirit that is so evident across business sectors in Warrington will be the key to winning that battle.”

It continues to be a challenging time for businesses across the town.

But FLEX-display UK – which is based at Birch Court in Woolston – has adapted to life amid the unprecedented period.

The company has developed its extremely unique FLEX-masks product in response to the pandemic.

Managing director Pete Davies: “I was looking at different technologies that might actually help to combat the virus and I found a treatment that could be used on fabrics, which kills coronavirus, and that is what our masks do. The masks are also waterproof because of the treatment.

“That is why our masks are different from other printed fabric masks that are out there.

“This is important because if you touch something then touch your mask to reposition it, or if your mask has come in contact with contamination, the treatment on the fabric actually kills the virus and bacteria.

“With our normal business we specialise in printed fabrics, all of the banners we make are all made of fabric anyway.

“So being specialists in printed fabric, making a fabric mask was kind of fitting with what we already did.

“But things are still difficult and I think that is the case for a lot of people.

“We have also partnered with an Italian company – they have a lot of fabric which is made from recycled bottles.

“We wanted to offer more environmentally friendly display solutions and their range of fabrics were a good addition to what we already do.”

Conservative Warrington South MP Andy Carter has warned the town runs the risk of tighter measures if it fails to get coronavirus ‘back under control’.

Meanwhile, Stephen Fitzsimons, interim chief executive of Warrington Chamber of Commerce – which represents and supports firms in the town – labelled the additional restrictions as concerning but not entirely unexpected.

He said: “Businesses have been doing their part, investing significant resources into making customer interactions as safe as possible.

“However, it is evident that a small minority have not been adhering to the national guidance.

“Masks must be worn where instructed and social distancing needs to be maintained at all times.

“Warrington commerce has fought hard for its survival over the last six months and the public’s co-operation is essential in maintaining the momentum.”