APRIL 2021
TOWN CENTRE RE-OPENING W E L C O M E B A C K PA C K P R O D U C E D I N P A R T N E R S H I P W I T H K E N T P O L I C E , K E N T C O U N T Y C O U N C I L M A I D S T O N E B O R O U G H C O U N C I L
GUIDANCE FOR EASING LOCKDOWN
A N D
I N PA RTN ERS HI P WI TH
P R O D U C E D
B U S I N E S S
B Y
I M P R O V E M E N T
D I S T R I C T
GUIDE TO RE-OPENING
CONTENTS P4: Timeframe for easing lockdown P5: Risk assessments P6: Recommended new measures P7: Food and drink outlets P8: Customer records P9: Customer numbers P10: Noise guidelines P11: Managing queues P12: Best practice P13: Customer engagement P14: Outdoor seating P15: Marking pavements P16: Town centre layout
P17: Social distancing examples P18: Receiving deliveries / commercial waste collection P19: Signage material P20: Posters for download P21: Signage examples P22: Counter Terrorism P23: Protecting Young People P24: Urban Blue Bus P25: Street Pastors P26: Street cleaning P27: CCTV monitoring P28: BID Ambassadors P29 – 30: Kent Police P31: Maidstone Borough Council P32: Keep us updated P33: Marketing support from One Maidstone P34: Contact One Maidstone P35: Useful links
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TIMEFRAME
EASING LOCKDOWN MARCH 29TH: Rule of six implemented APRIL 12TH: Opening of non-essential retail, gyms and salons, and outdoor dining and drinking, with rule of six in place. No curfews and no substantial meal policy. MAY 17TH: Indoor dining. JUNE 21ST: Re-opening of night time economy, presumed return to ‘normality.’ One Maidstone’s BID Ambassadors resumed duties in March 2021, patrolling the town centre to assist businesses and the public. PA G E 4
FIRST STEPS
RISK ASSESSMENT Before re-opening, you will need to carry out a risk assessment in order to identify the safest practices of working, and the best ways to serve customers. HSE has produced a helpful guide in order to help you to undertake a risk assessment for your business. www.hse.gov.uk/news/assets/docs/working-safely-guide.pdf The Environmental Health team at Maidstone Borough Council can help you complete a risk assessment should you require assistance. Email: EHAdmin@MidKent.gov.uk
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PRACTICALITIES
GENERAL RE-OPENING MEASURES Frequent cleaning of surfaces, screens and transaction points, and increased unit deep cleaning
Changing seating layouts to allow social distancing and increase or encourage use of outdoor areas
Regular washing of hands
Displaying posters informing customers of new practices
Encouraging card and contactless payments rather than cash
Offering socially distanced take away, collection or delivery options
Installing plastic screens between cashiers and customers
Reduction in background music to be played and discouraging communal dancing
Limiting numbers of customers within a unit at any one time Providing staff with appropriate equipment such as masks, gloves, sanitiser, etc. Marking floors with social distancing guides
Reducing venue capacity No mass gatherings Keeping indoor and outdoor soft play areas closed
Implementing ‘one way’ walking systems Hygiene stations for hand sanitising or washing for customers
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PRACTICALITIES
FOOD AND DRINK OUTLETS Minimising customer self service of food, cutlery and condiments to reduce risk of transmission. For example, providing cutlery and condiments only when food is served.
Minimising contact between kitchen workers and front of house workers. For example, by having zones from which front of house staff can collect food.
Providing only disposable condiments or cleaning non-disposable condiment containers after each use.
Reducing the number of surfaces touched by both staff and customers. For example, asking customers to remain at a table where possible, or to not lean on counters when collecting takeaways.
Encouraging customers to order online, on apps or over the telephone to reduce queues and stagger pick-up times. Adjusting service approaches to minimise staff contact with customers. Indoor table service must be used where possible, alongside further measures such as assigning a single staff member per table. Outdoor table service should also be encouraged, although customers are permitted to stand outside if distanced appropriately. Where bar or counter service is unavoidable, preventing customers from remaining at the bar or counter after ordering.
Where necessary, informing customers that police and the local authorities have the powers to enforce requirements in relation to social distancing and may instruct customers to disperse, leave an area, issue a fixed penalty notice or take further enforcement action.
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PRACTICALITIES
C U S TO M E R R E C O R D S The opening up of the economy following the COVID-19 outbreak is being supported by NHS Test and Trace. You should assist this service by keeping a temporary record of your customers and visitors for 21 days, in a way that is manageable for your business, and assist NHS Test and Trace with requests for that data if needed. This could help contain clusters or outbreaks. Many businesses that take bookings already have systems for recording their customers and visitors – including restaurants, hotels, and hair salons. If you do not already do this, you should do so to help fight the virus.
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PRACTICALITIES
C U S TO M E R N U M B E R S Indoor gatherings should only be occurring in groups of up to two households (including support bubbles) while outdoor gatherings should only be occurring in groups of up to two households (or support bubbles), or a group of at most six people from any number of households.
You may wish to consider: Further lowering capacity - even if it is possible to safely seat a number of people inside a venue, it may not be safe for them all to travel to or enter that venue.
It is against the law to gather in groups of more than 30 people, except for the limited circumstances as set out in law. In these specific cases, those operating venues should take additional steps to ensure the safety of the public and prevent large gatherings or mass events from taking place.
Staggering entry times with other venues and taking steps to avoid queues building up in surrounding areas.
At this time, venues should not permit live performances, including drama, comedy and music, to take place in front of a live audience.
Advising patrons to avoid particular forms of transport or routes and to avoid crowded areas when in transit to the venue.
Individual businesses or venues should consider the cumulative impact of many venues re-opening in a small area. This means working with local authorities, neighbouring businesses and travel operators to assess this risk and applying additional mitigations.
Determining if schedules for essential services and contractor visits can be revised to reduce interaction and overlap between people, for example, carrying out services at night.
Arranging one-way travel routes between transport hubs and venues.
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PRACTICALITIES
NOISE GUIDELINES Maidstone Borough Council’s Community Protection Team have produced noise guidelines for your business to follow and adhere to, which have been attached separately with this pack. If complaints are received to the Community Protection Team about noise from a licensed premise, they will contact you to discuss the complaint and what could be done to reduce noise levels. While every effort will be made to find an agreeable solution, this may include needing to reduce the use of the outside space. Ultimately if it is necessary the Community Protection Team may take formal action in the form of a license review or service of an enforcement notice. If you own or manage a licensed premise and are considering using the open space differently from how you operated prior to the lockdown, please use the guidance enclosed to consider the potential impact on neighbours. If you have done this and would like further help, please contact the team via communityprotection@maidstone.gov.uk
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PRACTICALITIES
MANAGING QUEUES Whilst implementing social distancing practices, customers may have to wait to enter, browse or be served, resulting in queues. Make sure your business has a plan for safely operating and managing the flow of people into, around, and out of your premises. We recommend that queues only run flush with the frontage of your premises, and are limited to your shop front only, in order to prevent merging. You will need to ask anyone waiting beyond the front of your premises to come back later. Monitoring and managing queues is the reponsibility of the business itself, and not of town security staff, Police or Ambassadors. You will need to assign personnel to manage your queues and limit the amount of people who are waiting. PA G E 1 1
PRACTICALITIES
BEST PRACTICE We have identified Primark, Week Street, as an example of reopening best practice. The clothing and homeware store was rigorous on having staff to cover their queue, which was one of the longest in the town centre. The queue was kept along the store front and provision was made for the queue to continue around the corner. Staffed checked it throughout, including the back, and kept customers informed.
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PRACTICALITIES
C U S TO M E R E N G A G E M E N T We understand that challenging new times represent new areas of responsibilities, and new ways of helping and dealing with customers. The following guidance for managing queues has been provided by Maidstone Borough Council’s Community Protection Team. Managing Queues As we welcome shoppers back to our stores we know that there may be challenges around controlling the numbers of people in your stores. Following the Government’s guidance you will now know that your store will have a reduced capacity, and for busier stores this may lead to you needing to introduce a queuing system. The good news is that queuing is something that many people will have experienced, as some businesses remained open throughout the lockdown period. Queuing is also a very British thing to do. That being said there are some steps we would encourage businesses to take to help control those queues and ensure your customers have an enjoyable shopping experience.
Environmental Health teams respectively. If you have a busier store, you might want to work with a neighbouring store to allow for your queue to use their frontage, but without blocking their access. If you’re the smaller store, why not use your window to appeal to those stood outside waiting to go next door. Use the right person to manage queues, especially at busier times. A smiley, customer focused employee will very quickly calm any tensions or anxiety. Understand your queues and communicate that information to those in line. Much like a theme park, people like to know roughly how long they are likely to be waiting so they can decide whether to wait or come back later. Employees managing queues may, on occasion, need to be firm but fair. They should be polite and courteous at all times. If a customer gets angry, they should try to calm them down and speak to them as they would wish to be spoken to. They should not become officious and overbearing.
Where possible, use your shop frontage to define the length of your queues. When your queue reaches that limit shoppers should be asked to return when the store is less busy.
If a person cannot be calmed down, they should ask a colleague to intercede or advise. Often a different person can have a different result. If necessary it should be escalated to a senior colleague or a manager.
Those colleagues managing queues should be suitably trained and you should carry out a risk assessment on this activity to mitigate any risks. Maidstone Borough Council are able to provide support with marking queuing zones and on operating safely through our Street Scene and
BID Ambassadors will be operating in the town and will provide assistance and support when it is appropriate, but are not responsible for queue management, or monitoring queues. Criminal matters such as disorder and other crimes can be reported to the police for assistance as normal. PA G E 1 3
PRACTICALITIES
O U T D O O R S E AT I N G The granting of outdoor seating licenses has now been transferred from Kent County Council to Maidstone Borough Council. To apply for outdoor seating, contact the MBC licensing team at licensing@maidstone.gov.uk
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PRACTICALITIES
M A R K I N G PAV E M E N T S To adhere to social distancing, you may wish to use temporary markings, such as non-slip tape, chalk, signage or Highways approved paint on public walkways or walls. Maidstone Borough Council is offering a free service for the marking out of areas as necessary, and advice for carrying out your own street markings – please contact streetscene@maidstone.gov.uk PA G E 1 5
PRACTICALITIES
TO W N C E N T R E L AYO U T • Signs and markings will be placed in the busiest areas to suggest keeping to the left when walking • Some street furniture has been removed by MBC in order to provide additional room for social distancing • Social distancing signs have been produced by MBC to display around the town centre •
Temporary ban on A Boards from MBC
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PRACTICALITIES
S O C I A L D I S TA N C I N G E X A M P L E S You may wish to take inspiration from other Maidstone town centre businesses when it comes to practicing social distancing.
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PRACTICALITIES
RECEIVING DELIVERIES/ C O M M E R C I A L WA S T E Please be conscious that changes to stock deliveries and commercial waste collections may be necessary, particularly when shoppers will be queuing in areas such as Week Street and Gabriel’s Hill. Highways authority Kent County Council have put new restrictions in place to ensure the safety of the public. Delivery and collection times within the town centre will now be restricted to before 9am and after 5.30pm only. Please ensure you are only receiving vehicles to your premises at this time, as they will otherwise not have access.
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PRACTICALITIES
S I G N A G E M AT E R I A L With changes to services and shopping practices, it’s likely that you will want to communicate requests and information to customers and staff using posters and display points. Make these clear and easy to understand. Please note that Maidstone Borough Council has put a temporary ban on A Boards in place in order to keep walkways clear.
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PRACTICALITIES
POSTERS FOR DOWNLOAD You may wish to display this Government statement to confirm that you have completed a risk assessment, and have considered and carried out any necessary changes to your premises, operations and working practices. This will help reassure the public, and members of your staff, that you are doing all you can to reduce transmission and provide a safe environment.
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PRACTICALITIES
SIGNAGE EXAMPLES You may wish to take inspiration from other Maidstone town centre businesses when it comes to promoting new practices.
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PRACTICALITIES
COUNTER TERRORISM The National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) has released guidance for businesses that are planning to re-open. You can download this pack at: https://www.thecssc.com/wpcontent/uploads/2020/06/20200602-NaCTSOUK-Protect-National-Bulletin.pdf
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PRACTICALITIES
P R OT E C T I N G YO U N G P E O P L E Guidance from Maidstone Borough Council Partnership approach to protecting young people In the last year, Covid-19 restrictions saw the closure of many activities which provide natural diversions for our young people. Schools, sports clubs and leisure activities, such as cinemas and shopping have been suspended or disrupted for large periods. For our young people, who are biologically programmed to explore the freedoms that come with maturity, and to engage in increased risk-taking behaviours, the world became very small. A generation, often referred to as “entitled”, faced unprecedented restrictions.
As a partnership we urge business to join us in seeking to understand these natural influences on the behaviour of young people and ask that you work with us to ensure Maidstone is a safe place to grow up. Incidents involving young people should be reported to the Police and the One Maidstone Ambassadors, where appropriate, so that accurate records can be taken and shared with the wider partnership. Many of those young people whose behaviour puts them at highest risk are known to services and it is imperative that we work together to safeguard them. By ensuring we collect accurate reports we can work with specialist youth services, such as Infozone, Switch Youth Café and Project Salus, to ensure professionals are available to support the young people who need us.
As the pandemic developed, reported issues around anti-social behaviour and young people gathering whilst exercising or visiting food outlets increased across the borough. Fears around a lack of social distancing meant that some of the concerns were due merely to the presence of young people. Whilst many young people have adapted to the restrictions, some have struggled and as a result have participated in anti-social behaviour and criminal acts. This was often associated with larger groups where “confidence” grew in the absence of natural diversions.
One note of caution - reports often incorrectly pertaining to “gangs of youths”. It is imperative that when referring to ‘gangs’ that labels are not assigned without evidence, thought or research; to assume that a group of young people are a gang only serves to amplify fear. There are currently no youth gangs, a discernible group for whom crime and violence is integral to the group’s identity, in Maidstone. We do however have several Peer Groups, small, unorganised, transient groups occupying the same space, but crime is not integral to their self-definition, who professionals are working with to minimise their risk taking and to improve their behaviour.
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PRACTICALITIES
URBAN BLUE BUS All volunteers will have their temperature taken with an infra red thermometer at the start and end of their volunteering shift. Anyone with a temperature of 37.3C or above will be sent home. All volunteers will be wearing their uniform and in addition will be issued with disposable aprons, masks and gloves. These will be discarded after each interaction with a patient. All patients will have their temperature taken by infra red thermometer before any treatment is administered. If they have a temperature of 37.3C or above they will not be treated by Urban Blue volunteers. All patients brought into the bus/tent, either by Urban Blue volunteers, members of the public or door staff will not be allowed to be accompanied by any other person, due to social distancing measures. Patient numbers will be strictly limited to 2 patients in the tent at any one time. Friends will be encouraged to wait at the round seating area at the top of Fremlin Walk. Any patients requiring treatment in a venue will only be treated should volunteers be able to maintain a social distancing measure of 2 meters from other patrons/friends. Should this not be possible, the patient will not be treated. It is hoped that door staff, where possible, will assist with ensuring a 2 meter social distance zone around a patient. All patients must be able to provide/have on them identification, giving name and address. This is to ensure track and trace measures can be taken if necessary. Should they be unable to provide this information, Urban Blue will be unable to treat them.
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PRACTICALITIES
S T R E E T PA S TO R S The Street Pastor team will be out from Saturday 4th July. We will have two teams of three people patrolling the town ready to engage with anyone who may wish talk or have issues. Not knowing what people may have been through in lockdown, albeit drink, drug, isolation, mental health issues etc. the level of drinkers is unknown so we are prepared for a busy night. A lot of the town’s homeless population have been in temporary accommodation so we are expecting some of them to reappear. They will not have had the means to get money from the public of late and it is thought there might be a desire from them to get back out. We are starting our patrols at 9.00pm until midnight. PA G E 2 5
S E RV I C ES U PDAT E
STREET CLEANING Street furniture and car park machinery will be cleaned by MBC on a daily basis to maintain good levels of hygiene. The pavements themselves will also be regularly cleansed at a time convenient to the business community and the public. The BID’s existing responsive service in partnership with the Council will also still be operating. PA G E 2 6
S E RV I C ES U PDAT E
C C T V M O N I TO R I N G One Maidstone is now providing monitoring of the town centre CCTV cameras, giving a real time overview of activity in the town centre. Manned locally by experienced operatives, they will also be acting as Control for the BCRP radios.
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S E RV I C ES U PDAT E
BID AMBASSADORS One Maidstone’s BID Ambassadors resumed duties in March, patrolling the town centre to assist businesses and the public, and support Kent Police in dealing with incidences of anti-social behaviour. They are on duty seven days a week, and can be contacted directly through your BCRP radio, or via ambassador@onemaidstone.com
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LO C A L AU T HO RI T Y U PDAT E
KENT POLICE Kent Police are aware of potential difficulties that may arise during these unprecedented time for businesses, and members of the public. Officers will be a visible presence around the town centre, available to attend criminal incidents as necessary. PA G E 2 9
LETTER FROM GARY WOODWARD
KENT POLICE The Town Centre in Maidstone is the heart of our community. As your new Police Commander I recognise how difficult this last year has been for you and your families and look forward to doing all we can to reestablish our relationships and help the town centre to once again become a thriving centre for our County Town. We continue to commit to Policing the town collaboratively, serving the public, working with businesses and partners to continue to keep our town a safe place to live, work and visit. My officers and staff will be a visible and reassuring presence, responding to crime and antisocial behaviour and seeking to deliver a first class policing service. Let’s all work together to stay safe and promote a cohesive atmosphere within Maidstone. Gary Woodward Maidstone District Commander, Kent Police
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LETTER FROM COUNCIL LEADER
M A I D S TO N E B O R O U G H C O U N C I L As the Leader of Maidstone Borough Council, I am proud to call Maidstone the Business capital of Kent and thank all businesses and residents for your sensible behaviour and for helping reduce the spread of the coronavirus. As a local business owner, I appreciate the impact Covid19 is having on the business community and I understand that it has suffered immeasurably and will need to adapt to these new challenges. There are Government grants and support available for local organisations. If you need more information, please visit www.maidstone.gov.uk and search ‘advice and help for businesses’. Take care & stay safe, Martin. Cllr Martin Cox MBC Leader
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HELP AND ADVICE
K E E P U S U P D AT E D One Maidstone is here to help your business and staff navigate this new period of trading. Please let us know how you are adjusting your services, whether that is with social distancing measures, providing sanitiser or hand washing facilities for customers, switching to home delivery or implementing new seating arrangements – this way, we can tell the public through our newsletters, website, press and social media channels. Contact sarah-jane.adams@onemaidstone.com
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HELP AND ADVICE
MARKETING SUPPORT FROM ONE MAIDSTONE The One Maidstone BID is still able to offer town centre businesses free marketing support and promotion in the following ways: Read our monthly email newsletter for news on One Maidstone’s latest activities and opportunities and submit stories to be featured. If you are not aware of receiving this newsletter, please contact us to ensure you are subscribed. The One Maidstone Town Centre Magazine is distributed to 15k town centre businesses and homes, and you can read for free at www.onemaidstone.com/magazine. We feature town centre traders at no charge. Submit news, stories, photos and events to be featured across our social media platforms, and get involved in our marketing campaigns, event plans and projects. Visit www.onemaidstone.com to see what we’re working on. Contact Marketing and Communications Manager, Sarah-Jane: sarah-jane.adams@onemaidstone.com / Twitter and Instagram: @onemaidstone Sarah-Jane is always available to discuss any ideas you may have for collaboration or to provide you with further details on how One Maidstone can help you to promote your business and services, and the town centre as a whole! PA G E 3 3
HELP AND ADVICE
O N E M A I D S TO N E C O N TA C T S BID Manager, Ilsa Butler ilsa.butler@onemaidstone.com Marketing and Communications Manager, Sarah-Jane Adams sarah-jane.adams@onemaidstone.com www.onemaidstone.com Twitter: @onemaidstone Instagram: @onemaidstone Facebook: /onemaidstonebid PA G E 3 4
HELP AND ADVICE
USEFUL LINKS HM Government business support www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support Maidstone Borough Council www.maidstone.gov.uk Twitter: @maidstonebc covid19business@maidstone.gov.uk Maidstone Borough Council business services www.businessinmaidstone.co.uk Twitter: @bizinmaidstone Kent County Council business advice Business Support, dedicated number: 03333 602300 Mon – Fri 8.30-6.30 Twitter: @kentcc_business
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