A high street expert has revealed five steps he believes must be taken before the coronavirus lockdown is lifted.
Bill Addy, chair of both the 海角视频 BID Foundation and the High Street Task Force Group, said with the lockdown set to be extended, it "won't be as simple as just opening the doors to towns and cities to aid a economic recovery".
He added that to protect high streets in the medium term, there needs to be a strategy to secure the confidence of both business and the public.
Mr Addy, who is also CEO of Liverpool BID Company, has urged for a clear and comprehensive strategy to be put in place by towns, cities and local business organisations, to support businesses operating on the 海角视频’s high streets as they prepare to open their doors to customers once again.
The High Street Task Force Group is now advising the Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government on key issues around access and distribution of funding, he explained.
He said: “We know that recovery won’t be immediate.
"Lifting any lockdown cannot be rushed, and it is vital to protect the health of the 海角视频 population - and that there is a pre-recovery and pre-lockdown lifting strategy in place to ensure businesses have the best chance available to begin to help the economy rebuild."
He said confidence will be an issue for businesses, especially those in the retail and hospitality sector suffering as their income is heavily reliant on footfall and daily custom.
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Based in Liverpool, Mr Addy said he has seen first hand the impact on these sectors.
These are the five points Mr Addy wants towns and cities to focus on, to help prepare for post-lockdown.
1. Town and city centres need to be secure
Mr Addy said this involves working with police but also local authorities and organisations to ensure businesses are physically protected, adding: “With Liverpool BID, for example, we have a BID Police Team that has been working with Merseyside Police to advise business and keep the city centre secure. Areas of crime don’t attract confidence so keeping the centres safe will be a major part in ensuring people feel comfortable when places do reopen”.
2. Centres need to be clean and attractive
He said: “This may sound minor, but local authorities, along with BIDs understand that when a centre suffers from litter or graffiti, it can deter people from using it for retail and leisure. That’s the last thing businesses will need when they are able to open their doors."
3. Working together
Mr Addy said: “Clear and comprehensive messaging is always vital to help people understand any situation, especially one like this.
"We understand that when there is a relaxation of the lockdown people may well be wary of being in crowds again. Businesses will need to work together, along with other agencies, to help restore confidence in being out in public."
4. Keeping everyone updated
Mr Addy said: “The temptation will be to make everyone feel that, the moment doors reopen, everything is back to normal. That won’t be the case. The likelihood is for a gradual release of restrictions. We’ll need to be honest.
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"There’s nothing wrong with being positive, especially if people start to feel comfortable again, but if the situation changes we can’t shy away from it. Safety is paramount”.
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5. Campaigns to promote towns, cities and business
Mr Addy said local papers and media platforms are "struggling", and businesses will need clear routes to help them share their good news and activity with the public.
He added: Telling the human stories of our places will be key to bring people together. We’re really lucky in Liverpool to have a wealth of places where people can send their news, but what we call city centre animation, like posters, and marketing to decorate windows and make our towns and cities attractive and enticing will be incredibly important.
"A little colour and creativity will add a burst of life to high streets, when they need it the most. BIDs work extensively in investing in this kind of street level decoration and it will be incredibly important to welcome shoppers back.
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“Both businesses and communities are weathering a storm right now and our first priority has been, and continues to be, that there are businesses still in operation when they are allowed to open their doors once again.
"In the past four weeks, BIDs, along with other business networks, have shifted their activity to provide support digitally, being a one stop shop for information for businesses about the support they can access, and lobbying on their behalf, locally, regionally and nationally, to ensure they continue to get the support they need."