AS NON-ESSENTIAL shops prepare to reopen from Monday, steps are being taken to ensure that the borough’s town centres are as safe as possible.
A range of new measures will be introduced including one-way systems, hand cleaning stations and encouraging residents to wear masks.
Some stores will also be introducing different opening hours, appointment systems and click and collect options in a bid to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Over the next few days, Wokingham Borough Council will start to install markings on pavements and pedestrianised areas so that it is easy to keep shoppers going in one direction and avoid doubling back on themselves.
This will be similar to systems already in supermarkets across the borough.
While it is easier to protect shoppers in Woodley’s Crockhamwell Road precinct because it is pedestrianised, extra care needs to be taken in Twyford, which has narrow pavements, and Wokingham, where a temporary closure of some lanes of traffic make be introduced to make pedestrianised areas wider.
The borough council is hoping that the measures will encourage shoppers to come flooding back to bricks and mortar stores after being forced to stay at home during the lockdown period.
They have launched a campaign, Stay safe, Shop Local, Shop Wokingham Borough, to encourage residents to return to the borough’s retail centres.
Benefits of shopping locally include boosting the local economy, something that is important as all our retail centres contain locally-owned businesses.
The council said that this also helps bring communities closer together, especially at tough times.
And there is also a push to get shoppers to walk or cycle to their local shopping centre, which again helps with social distancing.
Cllr Stuart Munro, Executive Member for Business and Economic Development, told Wokingham.Today: “We’ve got a plan, we’ll be doing our bit to help businesses.
“We’re looking at all the options now (including closing lanes of traffic), signs will be put up in towns, information posters will go up on boards.
“There’s a lot of people helping to make our messaging work.”
He added: “We’ll support the town to do it safely.”
One store that is looking to do things differently is Antique Rose in Bush Walk. It also has an entrance via Peach Place.
Owner Georgina Hustler said that it couldn’t open as normal, although it is seeing record numbers order via its website.
It will reopen for three days a week from Thursday, June 18.
“We’ll be offering appointments, where people can come in for 20 minutes. People can book in advance, come in and then after their shop, we can clean, refresh and restock.”
She felt that this would help shoppers to feel more comfortable in visiting the store.
“As a small business, we think this is the best way to manage so that staff feel safe, we can do all the things we normally do and minimise the risk of spreading the virus.
“The whole point is that it’s a lovely shopping experience, and we don’t want to jeopardise that with socially distancing measures. This way, people are safe.
“It should work quite nicely.”
Wokingham Borough Council said that it would review the measures in place on a regular basis.
