Council backs pledge to support businesses reopening after lockdown

Rugby Borough Council has backed the pledge, which aims to help businesses create COVID-secure environments for both customers and staff.

The pledge covers social distancing, face coverings, ventilation, vaccination, testing and isolating, risk assessments, and employee health and well-being.

Businesses can take the voluntary pledge online, accessing a wide range of information and advice, together with social media and marketing materials to help the business promote its commitment to COVID-security.

The launch of the business pledge marks the next step on the roadmap out of lockdown, with a wide range of businesses reopening this week, including hairdressers, gyms, non-essential retail and hospitality venues able to serve customers outdoors.

Rugby Borough Council has held webinars and written to all hospitality venues in the borough to offer businesses support and guidance on reopening, and the council's commercial regulation team can be contacted for advice.

Dan Green, Rugby Borough Council's deputy executive director, said the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire COVID Business Pledge aimed to help businesses operate in a COVID-secure environment while giving customers the confidence to shop and visit business premises safely.

"Supporting businesses and putting in place plans to spearhead the economic recovery has been a priority for the council since the start of the pandemic, and with the positive steps we have all taken to emerge from lockdown, businesses can now look forward to the future with renewed, albeit cautious, optimism," Mr Green said.

"We know many of the borough's businesses have invested time and money to introduce measures to make premises COVID-secure, but it's important for businesses to know we're here to help and offer support.

"The Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire COVID Business Pledge not only offers that support, but also promotes 'best practice' when it comes to running a COVID-secure business and inspires customer confidence to support the borough's economy."

Warwickshire County Council has worked in partnership with local councils, Rugby First and other Business Improvement Districts, and a range of other agencies and organisations to launch the business pledge.

Small and medium-sized businesses which take the pledge can also access the county council's employee assistance programme, which offers mental health and well-being support for staff.

Monica Fogarty, chief executive of Warwickshire County Council, said: "We want to work with businesses to offer whatever support we can to ensure their reopening and ongoing operation is as successful as possible.

"The business pledge is our way of encouraging businesses to do the right thing and demonstrate to their customers - our residents - that it is safe to shop and do business."

Businesses can sign-up and take the pledge online at www.rugby.gov.uk/pledge

Rugby Borough Council's commercial regulation team can be contacted via email: hs@rugby.gov.uk