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Mansfield Market fully reopens on Friday

Posted onPosted on 4th Jun

Mansfield Market will fully reopen to traders and customers on Friday, 5th June, although some traders will be returning over the next couple of weeks.

Fencing has been put up around the market stalls to stop people walking through the middle of them to limit the number of people within the space and allow shoppers to social distance.

There will be a one-way system and separate queuing space for each stall with markings to ensure customers can stay two metres away from others during their visit.

The entrance to the market will be at the top of Church Street, near HSBC, where a board will be on display showing the location of traders each day. The exit will be near Pound Bakery.

The gates will be open from 6.45am to 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday. There will be hand sanitiser available and members of the Town Centre team will be on hand to guide shoppers and help control the number of people within the market area at any one time.

The butcher, fishmonger and refreshment van will be outside the fenced area on the days they stand. No seating will be available within the enclosed market space.

Traders have been given help and advice about risk assessments that must be completed before they are allowed to return. They have been encouraged to offer card payments to reduce the need to handle cash.

A revised fee structure is proposed to reflect the new layout, meaning stall rents would be cheaper for the vast majority of stallholders due to the visibility of all stalls.

The safe reopening of the market and wider town centre is being supported with up to £97,256 from the European Regional Development Fund.

Coun Stuart Richardson, portfolio holder for regeneration and growth, said: “We are pleased that the market is ready to safely welcome back traders and customers. The layout and safety measures we have had to put in place are new to us, to stallholders and shoppers. There will be an element of getting used to things, but we will keep everything under constant review and make any necessary changes as time goes on.

“The fencing is the only way we could limit the number of pedestrians walking through to keep traders and customers safe.

“We’ve worked with the traders to ensure they were kept informed and involved and we thank them for their support. It’s great to hear that several prefer the new layout.

“Please be patient and kind to traders, our town centre staff and each other as we all work through these difficult times and the challenges it brings.”

Follow @MansfieldMarketOfficial for details of businesses that are returning and when.

The council’s Neighbourhood Wardens will be supported by Nottinghamshire Police to ensure the town centre remains safe as businesses reopen in the coming weeks.

Banners and posters will be displayed in the town centre to remind people to follow social distancing. Some benches will be taped off to enable people to stay two metres apart.

The council’s Environmental Health and Licensing teams are working with businesses to provide advice on implementing the Government’s COVID-secure guidelines.

There is limited space for queuing outside some businesses and care needs to be taken not to block the entrances of neighbouring premises. Banks are proving to be particularly busy and customers are asked not to join a queue if it has reached its capacity and instead return later.

Pedestrians are advised to keep left where pavements are narrow. The steps from Toothill Lane car park to White Lion Yard will remain closed because visibility is too limited to enable social distancing.