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Re-opening Fareham
11th June 2020
As we slowly start venturing out from the safety of our homes, we need to do this in the most careful manner possible. Following the guidance offers two benefits. Ensuring that our collective time and effort spent distancing and in isolation in the past few months was not futile, but will also help us to successfully overcome the situation while gradually easing back into our routines at the same time.
As per the recent Government directive, non-essential businesses, including shops, are set to open 15th June onwards. Every business will have to make an assessment of risk and manage the identified control measures in a way that works best for the safety and reassurance of staff and customers.
Working environments will vary, and we must all play our part, be it staff, or as customers supporting our reemerging economy. Fareham Borough Council has put in place a team of advisors who will provide guidance and help businesses through the process - from risk assessment, signage, PPE, to solving the most trivial of concerns. You can contact the Council for guidance with the re-opening of your shop or business and setting up a new social distancing environment in the right way. You can have a look at the Council flyer posted here for contact details. It will also be hand-delivered to all shops that will resume work soon.
Apart from this, the Council is also working on the following:
The Council has also issued two press releases providing guidance for the re-opening of the non-essential items shops and Civic offices. You can have a look at these below:
Social distancing measures and one-way systems for shoppers are being introduced to ensure that Fareham remains a safe place to shop as retail outlets start to re-open from next Monday (June 15).
Fareham Borough Council has been working closely with retailers and Fareham Shopping Centre to ensure that the shopping experience for people visiting Fareham from Monday is safe and reassuring.
It is the first time that many shops will have been able to open since the Covid-19 lockdown in March. Government restrictions on many retail stores are being relaxed provided they can maintain social distancing and ensure that they can keep customers and staff safe.
A one-way system for people using the Osborne Road multi-storey car park to get to and from the shopping centre will keep people separated. The four lifts for the car park have been designated as two for up only and two for down only. The multi storey car park in Civic Way also benefits from one way systems and there are hand gel dispensers on every floor.
The Council is also issuing leaflets to all retailers in the town centre offering to support them in their plans for re-opening and maintaining safety.
Fareham Shopping Centre has introduced floor markings to keep people two metres apart, a one-way system along the malls and barriers to ensure that people can queue safely for shops. They have installed a number of hand gel dispensers. Please note there may also be a limit on the number of people able to enter the centre from time to time.
The West Passage public toilets within the shopping centre will remain closed. The only public toilets open will be those behind New Look opposite the Osborne Road multi-storey car park.
The proposed re-opening of retail coincides with market day in the town centre but the market has been open for two weeks now and traders have put safe systems in place to protect customers and themselves.
Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Councillor Sean Woodward, said: “We are delighted to welcome shoppers back to Fareham town centre after almost three months of most shops being forced to remain closed to keep everyone safe.
“This is another important step on the road to recovery for the economy locally and nationally, but it is important that people respect the social distancing measures that are in place and do their bit to maintain their own good hygiene by regularly washing their hands and using hand sanitiser where it is available.
“I know that a lot of people are keen to have the shops open again, as am I. I am also very much looking forward to seeing the town centre busy and active again, but with visitors and shoppers keeping safe.”
--ENDS--
While there has been some relaxation in Government restrictions for retail and commercial businesses, the Council’s Civic Offices in Fareham will remain closed to visitors for now.
Some Council employees are starting to return to the offices instead of working from home, and extensive measures are being put in place to enable the Civic Offices to open to customers by appointment from 22 June.
It will be possible for individual appointments to be arranged in a small number of special cases in the Civic Offices, but these are likely to be kept to a minimum level for the foreseeable future.
Anyone who needs the help of the Council should contact them by telephone in the first instance. The Council will arrange the delivery of items that might ordinarily have been collected from the Civic Offices, such as garden waste refuse sacks.
The Council is working hard to ensure that the measures being put in place to enable the Civic Offices to be opened to the public again in the future will keep Council employees and visitors safe.
Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Councillor Sean Woodward, said: “We are not yet in a position where we can open the Civic Offices to the general public. Some Council officers are starting to return, but the building is not yet ready to receive visitors.
“We can still provide all of our services and the items that might have been collected from the Civic Offices to anyone who needs them, and if there are issues that need a face to face meeting then we can make a special appointment. Anyone who needs our help can phone us.
“We are putting measures in place to ensure that we can keep the public and Council employees safe which will enable us to open the Civic Offices to the public again. But we are not ready to do that yet.”
Contact telephone numbers for the Council are:
Benefits : 01329 824646
Council tax : 01329 824651
Council Tenant Enquiries : 01329 824435
General Enquiries : 01329 236100
Housing or Homeless advice : 01329 824343
Housing Repairs : 01329 824771
Licensing : 01329 824339
Planning : 01329 824662
Sheltered Housing : 01329 847125
--ENDS--
I am always at your service in whatever way possible. All your comments and suggestions are welcome, which will allow us to help serve you better and move ahead in the right manner to overcome this difficult phase. For updates, please follow my social media channels and stay in touch.
As per the recent Government directive, non-essential businesses, including shops, are set to open 15th June onwards. Every business will have to make an assessment of risk and manage the identified control measures in a way that works best for the safety and reassurance of staff and customers.
Working environments will vary, and we must all play our part, be it staff, or as customers supporting our reemerging economy. Fareham Borough Council has put in place a team of advisors who will provide guidance and help businesses through the process - from risk assessment, signage, PPE, to solving the most trivial of concerns. You can contact the Council for guidance with the re-opening of your shop or business and setting up a new social distancing environment in the right way. You can have a look at the Council flyer posted here for contact details. It will also be hand-delivered to all shops that will resume work soon.
Apart from this, the Council is also working on the following:
- Relevant signage
- Printing of risk assessment forms for display in the shops
- Signage for car parks
- Hand gel dispensers for Osborn Road multi-storey
- New guidance for accessing stairs and lifts for Osborn Road multi-storey
The Council has also issued two press releases providing guidance for the re-opening of the non-essential items shops and Civic offices. You can have a look at these below:
Safe shopping measures in place for reopening of retail in Fareham
Social distancing measures and one-way systems for shoppers are being introduced to ensure that Fareham remains a safe place to shop as retail outlets start to re-open from next Monday (June 15).
Fareham Borough Council has been working closely with retailers and Fareham Shopping Centre to ensure that the shopping experience for people visiting Fareham from Monday is safe and reassuring.
It is the first time that many shops will have been able to open since the Covid-19 lockdown in March. Government restrictions on many retail stores are being relaxed provided they can maintain social distancing and ensure that they can keep customers and staff safe.
A one-way system for people using the Osborne Road multi-storey car park to get to and from the shopping centre will keep people separated. The four lifts for the car park have been designated as two for up only and two for down only. The multi storey car park in Civic Way also benefits from one way systems and there are hand gel dispensers on every floor.
The Council is also issuing leaflets to all retailers in the town centre offering to support them in their plans for re-opening and maintaining safety.
Fareham Shopping Centre has introduced floor markings to keep people two metres apart, a one-way system along the malls and barriers to ensure that people can queue safely for shops. They have installed a number of hand gel dispensers. Please note there may also be a limit on the number of people able to enter the centre from time to time.
The West Passage public toilets within the shopping centre will remain closed. The only public toilets open will be those behind New Look opposite the Osborne Road multi-storey car park.
The proposed re-opening of retail coincides with market day in the town centre but the market has been open for two weeks now and traders have put safe systems in place to protect customers and themselves.
Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Councillor Sean Woodward, said: “We are delighted to welcome shoppers back to Fareham town centre after almost three months of most shops being forced to remain closed to keep everyone safe.
“This is another important step on the road to recovery for the economy locally and nationally, but it is important that people respect the social distancing measures that are in place and do their bit to maintain their own good hygiene by regularly washing their hands and using hand sanitiser where it is available.
“I know that a lot of people are keen to have the shops open again, as am I. I am also very much looking forward to seeing the town centre busy and active again, but with visitors and shoppers keeping safe.”
--ENDS--
Fareham Civic Offices to open by appointment only
While there has been some relaxation in Government restrictions for retail and commercial businesses, the Council’s Civic Offices in Fareham will remain closed to visitors for now.
Some Council employees are starting to return to the offices instead of working from home, and extensive measures are being put in place to enable the Civic Offices to open to customers by appointment from 22 June.
It will be possible for individual appointments to be arranged in a small number of special cases in the Civic Offices, but these are likely to be kept to a minimum level for the foreseeable future.
Anyone who needs the help of the Council should contact them by telephone in the first instance. The Council will arrange the delivery of items that might ordinarily have been collected from the Civic Offices, such as garden waste refuse sacks.
The Council is working hard to ensure that the measures being put in place to enable the Civic Offices to be opened to the public again in the future will keep Council employees and visitors safe.
Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council, Councillor Sean Woodward, said: “We are not yet in a position where we can open the Civic Offices to the general public. Some Council officers are starting to return, but the building is not yet ready to receive visitors.
“We can still provide all of our services and the items that might have been collected from the Civic Offices to anyone who needs them, and if there are issues that need a face to face meeting then we can make a special appointment. Anyone who needs our help can phone us.
“We are putting measures in place to ensure that we can keep the public and Council employees safe which will enable us to open the Civic Offices to the public again. But we are not ready to do that yet.”
Contact telephone numbers for the Council are:
Benefits : 01329 824646
Council tax : 01329 824651
Council Tenant Enquiries : 01329 824435
General Enquiries : 01329 236100
Housing or Homeless advice : 01329 824343
Housing Repairs : 01329 824771
Licensing : 01329 824339
Planning : 01329 824662
Sheltered Housing : 01329 847125
--ENDS--
I am always at your service in whatever way possible. All your comments and suggestions are welcome, which will allow us to help serve you better and move ahead in the right manner to overcome this difficult phase. For updates, please follow my social media channels and stay in touch.
I am listening!
