North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) has launched a new scheme to support local businesses post-lockdown - and give shoppers the confidence they need to return to retail and hospitality in the area.

Regional lockdowns have had a major impact on businesses in the area, and the district authority says consumer confidence has not yet fully returned.

The aim of the Let's be COVID-safe Together scheme, which is free to join, is to reassure customers that a business is doing more than the Government requires to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus.

NWLDC hopes that this will provide people with the reassurance they need to return to shops, bars, pubs, cafes, restaurants, and other venues, and boost the local economy.

The scheme has been designed to support Step 4 of the roadmap.

An applying business will have to demonstrate it has completed a risk assessment that looks at Covid-safe measures such as how well ventilated the premises are, how regularly they are cleaned and whether sanitiser is available.

Businesses must communicate the risk assessment to staff and review their Covid-safe measures to accommodate any future changes in circumstances.

The local businesses that have been approved by the council will have posters in shop windows and will feature on its social media channels to let shoppers know that they are participating.

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Councillor Tony Gillard, Portfolio Holder for Business and Regeneration at North West Leicestershire District Council, said: "The pandemic has had a major impact on our local businesses and consumer confidence has been slow to return.

"The aim of the Let's be COVID-safe Together scheme is to help reassure the public that customer-facing businesses have reasonable measures in place so that customers and staff feel safe."