Traders consulted on safe shopping measures
Businesses in town centres across Dudley borough are being consulted on measures put in place as part of plans to keep people safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
Dudley Council bosses are keen to get the views of local traders about how effective measures are after being installed recently.
Feedback from shops will be used to finely tune the measures, which included physical barriers, posters, signs and online resources. They have been introduced to make pavements wider and also give traders and shoppers advice on social distancing and keeping safe.
Letters have been sent to businesses in Stourbridge, which is the first of a number of towns to be consulted. The town has already seen minor changes to the original plan to pedestrianise the High Street in response to helpful feedback from the public and local businesses.
Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for environment, highways and street services, said:
"We have set out to help businesses reopen and at the same time, keep everyone safe. That has not been an easy task which is why it is absolutely vital we continue to listen to traders who work in these town centres.
"We had some early feedback from traders in Stourbridge and we acted quickly to make sure they could continue to operate effectively. We will be using the feedback from this consultation to ensure the measures continue to consider the views of the traders and the safety of local shoppers"
Measures have so far been put in Halesowen, Brierley Hill, Stourbridge and Dudley and more recently, Lye and Sedgley. The council will be consulting traders in those areas in the coming weeks.