Nottingham has started to carefully and safely reopen to more people as the Government eases lock down restrictions and new arrangements are put in place to make it possible.
The City Council is working with the Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID), retailers and other local businesses to ensure the city centre and neighbourhood shopping areas can successfully start to reopen.
Following the opening of non-essential shops in June, pubs, restaurants, cafes, hotels and other hospitality and entertainment services have also now started to reopen.
But as we get back to a ‘new normal’ – we all still need to stay safe.
A range of measures are being put in place to enable you to move around public places in the city safely.
We know it’s exciting to come back into the city centre, but of course things aren’t fully back to normal and we all need to bear in mind that the virus is still prevalent which means we need to proceed cautiously and above all safely:
Please remember to keep your distance and keep left on pavements and pedestrianised areas.
You need to wear a face covering on all public transport and in enclosed public spaces.
Re-opening of the hospitality services from 4 July
Government guidance that only two households can meet also applies to pubs and restaurants.
People should also be prepared for pre-booking of tables, one-way systems being in place, fewer seats being available and restrictions on entertainment. wash your hands regularly and use hand sanitiser when available.
- When inside, each household / support bubble can meet socially with one other household / support bubble as long as they socially distance.
- When outside, two households / support bubbles can meet. In addition you can meet in groups of up to six people from different households. Social distancing must be observed.
- Many premises are only accepting people who have booked places due to lower than normal capacities. Check before you leave your home.
- Use hand sanitiser or handwashing facilities as you enter the premises. Continue to wash your hands regularly.
- You must maintain a social distance from anyone who is not in your household.
- If you have any symptoms of coronavirus then you must stay at home and get tested.
- Please remember to drink responsibly and avoid putting any additional strain on the Emergency services and the NHS
- Consumption of alcohol on the street is prohibited by the provisions of a Public Spaces Protection Order so please only drink alcohol in a licensed premise or its outdoor seating area.
Where’s open?
The City Council has been working closely with Nottingham Business Improvement District – It’s in Nottingham – on the safe reopening of the city centre.
itsinnottingham.com has lots of useful information on how to enjoy the city safely including an interactive map of where is open for business:
https://guides.itsinnottingham.com/guides/open-shops-and-deliveries
Transport and parking
Our website transportnottingham.com provides all the information you need on travelling into the city and getting around safely whether you’re driving, walking, cycling or using public transport.
A new parking app for use at Trinity Square and Lace Market car parks has been launched for phones and tablets. Search for ‘RHParking Nottingham’ on your phone’s app store.
The INStant parking app enables contact free access to both multi-storey car parks and helps people avoid queues at pay stations. Once you set up your account and enter vehicle and card payment details, the barrier will automatically open on entrance and start the charging period. When you exit through the barrier the charging period will be closed and automatically debit your account with the parking charge if you have set up auto-pay.
Introductory offer: Set up the app and get your first parking session free. For each subsequent parking session, receive a 10% discount.
For on-street parking and surface car parks, we recommend using the RingGo app for contact/cash free parking.
All car parks and on street parking currently fully operational with the exception of Lace Market Car park which does not open until 8/7/20.
Helping business operate safely
The Council has been working with shops, pub. bars and restaurants, providing advice and support to help them operate safely and successfully.
This includes providing additional space for pedestrians, customer queuing and outdoor seating areas.
To support this in the Hockley area of the city centre, it has been proposed to restrict traffic flows on Broad Street and Heathcoat Street. By restricting access to vehicles apart from between the hours of 6am and 11am, it’s hoped that more space will be available for social distancing throughout the entire area.
At the current time, it is proposed that the temporary restrictions will remain in place until 31st December 2020, but it will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and will be subject to national advice regarding COVID-19 and wider Government policy on travel and social distancing.
Other Council services
Nottingham received £294,601 from a total of £50m being provided nationally from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) that the Government is making available to councils to support businesses to re-open safely.