Shops reopening can ‘bring Leeds city centre back to life’, claims retail chief

The head of an organisation representing businesses in Leeds City Centre said he is upbeat about the planned re-opening of shops next month.
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Martin Dickson, head of the Leeds Business Improvement District (BID), has accepted much needs to be done to get shoppers confident enough to come back into Leeds City Centre in the coming weeks and months, but says the re-openings can help “get the city centre back to life”.

It follows an announcement from Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier this week, in which he said non-essential shops would be allowed to reopen from June 15.

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This would open the door for Leeds City Centre’s fashion, homeware and electrical shops to reopen for the first time since the Prime Minister announced the lockdown on March 23.

Call Lane, around the time the lockdown was announced in March.Call Lane, around the time the lockdown was announced in March.
Call Lane, around the time the lockdown was announced in March.

Mr Dickson said: “We are working with the retail groups and the councillors about returning to work we were having an advanced discussion. The shops are keen to get back open if it is safe to do so.

“They can put the right safety measures in place and they are working very hard on that. They will be using the same successful model we’ve seen supermarkets work on.

“They are all keen to get the city centre back to life.”

He added the biggest challenge is likely to encourage the public to be confident enough to venture back into the city centre once the lockdown rules are relaxed further.

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“The only concern that we all have to mitigate against is to make sure that people are confident in coming back,” he said. “People will obviously all make their own decisions – there is a need to mitigate against fear.

“The shops are going work to make sure there is sensible queuing, as well as separate entrances and exits.

“The parameter of fear varies in people – you can’t really predict that.

“But people working in offices are sometimes able to work from home, but with high street shops, it’s a very on and off thing. They can only function by opening again. I think some people will be reserved for longer, but is a personal choice.”

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Mr Dickson added that, aside from a handful of national chains that went into administration at the beginning of the lockdown, most of the larger high street retailers in the city centre look likely to return once the lockdown is lifted.

He said “We have not talked to all of the businesses but we have talked to a good number of them. They have all been able to furlough to protect jobs and businesses’ cash reserves have not been drawn upon too much.

“They are very keen to get the shops open, we know Leeds was on the up over the last few years, even though the retail sector has been under some pressure.

“I think they need to get back and see how it goes, and we are really positive about that.”

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During a national address earlier this week, the Prime Minister said: “We will set out our formal assessment of the five tests that we set for adjusting the lockdown later this week as part of the three-weekly review we are legally required to undertake by Thursday.

“But because of the progress we are making I can, with confidence, put the British people on notice of the changes we intend to introduce as we move to step two.”

He claimed new guidance was being published for the retail sector “detailing the measures they should take to meet the necessary social distancing and hygiene standards”.

“Shops now have the time to implement this guidance before they reopen,” he said.

“This will ensure there can be no doubt about what steps they should take.”