COVID-19: Creating a COVID-19 secure resort: stage 2 – Closure of Central Prom

Last weekend, as part of the council’s response to helping to make Cleethorpes a COVID-19 secure resort, Central Prom was closed to traffic during the daytime to help increase the circulation area for pedestrians and support social distancing. North Prom was initially closed, but was reopened on the Saturday afternoon.

Information collected over the weekend suggests that visitors were parking in different areas of the resort and walking to the prom for their exercise or to visit the beach, meaning there was much more circulation space on the Central Prom particularly.

Cllr Callum Procter, Cabinet member for tourism, said: “I’d like firstly to thank people who were in the resort at the weekend for acting responsibly and helping us implement the new arrangements. We have a lovely resort here, and realised early on that we would need to do something to spread visitors out through the resort to help them maintain social distancing.

“Last weekend’s trial seemed to have worked in the main, and we have received some good feedback about the closures from residents and local businesses,” continued Cllr Procter. “Officers are working through the feedback, particularly that about the North Prom closure. And we are also working on medium and long term plans to create a safe resort for everyone to enjoy, but we need to do this with consideration to our local businesses and residents.

“While ideally we’d prefer everyone to stay at home, if you do choose to come to Cleethorpes, we’d ask you to please follow the Government guidelines, maintain social distancing and keep everyone in our resort safe for everyone here.”

Since Government guidance about lock-down changed, people have been allowed to travel within England to take their exercise.

Digital signs introduced at key entrances to the resort to advise of these closures will direct people to other car parks in the resort and to reinforce the safe distancing requirements.

Like other resorts, many shops and attractions are closed following Government guidance, meaning that the retail and leisure side is very quiet, but many businesses have diversified to include mail order and collection only options, for example.

As long as you stay 2m apart, in terms of Cleethorpes sea front, according to current Government guidelines, you are allowed to:

• Spend time outdoors, for example sitting and enjoying the fresh air, picnicking and sunbathing
• Meet one other person from another household outdoors
• Exercise outdoors as much as you wish
• Use outside exercise facilities, such as tennis courts, with members of your household, or one other person outside your household

However, you are still not allowed to:

• Visit a second home or stay away overnight
• Visit friends and family in their homes
• Visit outdoor (communal) gyms and playgrounds
• Visit private or ticketed attractions

ENDS