Lancaster BID has given our support to a campaign started by local businesses to see Lancaster separated from the rest of the county and placed in a lower tier level at the end of Lockdown. BID has written to the leaders of the City and County Councils as well as Cat Smith MP asking them to also support this campaign, which is backed up by current COVID-19 infection rates across the district and county.
The campaign was initiated by local businessman, Phil Simpson, and has rapidly gained support from many local businesses. If you haven’t yet given your support we would encourage you to contact your MP and local leaders as well as emailing Phil to add your name to the growing list supporting the campaign.
Full details of Phil’s open letter including his contact details are below:
Our region will emerge out of Lockdown 2.0 in just over two weeks’ time. The Lancaster and Morecambe district has done fantastically well to drag down its Covid infection rate and we are now, as an area, below the national average. If the current trend continues, we should be significantly below the national average by 2nd December and, if we were anywhere else, recognised as a Tier 1 area.
However, the rest of Lancashire is not faring as well. It is dropping, but only marginally, and its infection levels are still well above the national average and likely still at Tier 3 level.
The Lancaster region was included with Lancashire when we moved into Tier 2 in October, despite our levels being considerably lower than anywhere else in Lancashire. Critically this grouping of our region into Lancashire is likely to happen again unless we loudly complain.
I have contacted Lancaster City Council and other people have contacted Cat Smith, neither of these routes seem to be proving effective, yet. I’ve not contacted David Morris as he’s not my local MP, if anyone could do that it would be much appreciated.
I would like to go public with a campaign to recognise the efforts made by the businesses, people and organisations based in our area to drag our Covid levels down. Reward our sacrifices and successes by being judged as a standalone area in Lancashire. There is now precedent for this occurring as Barrow was given a different Tier rating to every other area in Cumbria last month.
At this stage, all I need is for you to reply to this email to agree for me to use your name. I need a name and company or venue name. Also… most importantly, please forward this to anyone else that may be keen to get involved. The more businesses/names we can collect, the more difficult it will be to ignore our voice.
October was a terrible month for our businesses, November has barely existed and December will be appalling if we’re still in Tier 2 or 3. Then we’re into Dry January and all the wonders that entails.
Please email – [email protected] with your name and company details, forward this message on to anyone that can help and apply pressure to your local MP, Councillor and anyone else you feel may be able to help.
