Local residents are this week being encouraged to support shops in Burnham-On-Sea town centre as a temporary pedestrianisation scheme in the High Street aims to help shoppers socially distance and keep safe.
Burnham Chamber of Trade has issued a rallying call to local residents, urging them to support the town centre’s shops as the lockdown eases.
“During these unprecedented times, it’s never been more important to support our town centre or we may lose some shops and nobody wants that,” says a Chamber spokesman. “Our shops are the lifeblood of the town centre and they need your support.”
“Many of Burnham’s shops have re-opened this week, and are offering a wide range of products – from gifts, clothes and jewellery through to fresh food and bakery items.”
“The temporary pedestrianisation has been put in place by Somerset County Council to make it safer for shoppers to use the High Street while keeping two metres apart.”
Scores of similar pedestrianisation schemes are in place in town centres across the country as part of Covid-19 safety measures.
Burnham’s pedestrianisation map shows the locations of the High Street closure and one-way systems, which are in force to help shoppers from 9am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday and 10am-4pm on Sundays. One-way systems apply 24 hours a day.
Heavy rain fell throughout the day on Thursday, contributing to a fall in the number of shoppers visiting the High Street.
Jax Gardiner-White said trade at Whites Farm Shop had been slightly up on a week before, adding: “Lots of customers made positive comments to us about he changes in the town centre, welcoming that it is a safer place to do their shopping.”
Bastins in the High Street said they had seen a “quiet morning of trade during the worst of the weather but things had improved slightly in the afternoon.”
GW Hurley said they had a “very quiet day of trade” while Boots the chemist also had a “poor day of trade” compared to other Thursdays during the lockdown. Sentiments‘s Steve Coggins added: “The weather didn’t help us, but the first week of trade has been generally good on the whole.”
Antony James jewellers said it had been “a very quiet day – I am really concerned that pedestrianisation will have a very negative impact on the town centre.”
Letters explaining how the temporary pedestrianisation works have been distributed by the Town Council to residents and business owners in the town centre this week.
An online poll of residents has found support for the temporary pedestrianisation of the High Street, however the removal of free parking spaces in the High Street without alternative provision of free spaces nearby is unpopular, in addition to the upcoming week-long closure of the Oxford Street car park by Sedgemoor District Council. The Chamber of Trade has been lobbying the council to step in on parking.
The Chamber is also launching a ‘Love Burnham’ promotion of the town centre to encourage local people into Burnham to support its shops.
