Local MP Robbie Moore has been out and about across Ilkley and Keighley visiting businesses in the hospitality sector which have reopened after lockdown.
Pubs, cafes, restaurants and hairdressers were among the businesses to reopen for the first time in months. Mr Moore spent the day touring the constituency and talking to business owners about the measures that have taken to ensure they can reopen safely.
Robbie cut the ribbon at the Dalesway Pub and Hotel in Ilkley; he spoke to Charlotte whose salon Beauty in Bloom opened up for the first time and Shevaun who runs Destination travel agents; he heard about the changes Joanna from Coffee Love has had to make to reopen, and Ben who runs Roy Dyke’s butchers, both in Keighley Market Hall; he also visited the Grouse Inn on the edge of the constituency to learn the challenges they faced reopening in such a remote area; finally, Robbie met with the family behind Furniss Family Butchers who have supplied many of the reopening businesses before finishing the day at Azeem’s in Keighley. He also met with a group from Keighley Albion RFC who hope to take on Utley Recreational Ground to bring it back into use for the community.
All of the businesses have taken a range of measures to ensure that numbers are limited, customers’ details are properly logged, and contact is limited to essential transactions.
Robbie told Rombalds Radio: “It’s been a whirlwind day for me, seeing as many businesses as I possibly can, but that is nothing compared to the preparation their operators have had to undertake to ensure their businesses can open safely.
“The coronavirus pandemic has driven a horse and cart through lots of great plans and some of the businesses were just getting by. There was a lot of gratitude for the PM, Boris Johnson, and Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, for the support given to businesses and employees to ensure they could continue to operate now the economy is opening back up again.
“It may be a while before the economy gets back to representing anything we recognise as normal, but I am so proud of the resilience of the businesses in my constituency, and the community spirit of our friends and neighbours who have gotten out to support small businesses. The support was enthusiastic but cautious, with everyone I met understanding and accepting the changes they have had to make to the way they go about their daily lives and I hope this continues.”
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