Tees Valley leaders to discuss Tier 3 restrictions in meeting with Government

The leaders of Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland, Darlington and Stockton councils, along with the Mayor of Middlesbrough and the Tees Valley Mayor, have said in a statement that they will be having further discussions with ministers on Friday.

However the group stressed that they had not reached an agreement with the Government over entering Tier 3.

Councillor Mary Lanigan, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said: “The Government informed us late last night of their intention to take the Tees Valley into Tier 3 restrictions.

“We have had an initial meeting with ministers this afternoon where they again stressed this intention due to the current infection rate and the increased number of people being admitted to hospital with Covid-19.

“We will be having further discussions tomorrow but nothing has been agreed.

“Our priorities remain the health and wellbeing of our residents, supporting businesses and saving jobs, and we will continue to press for the best possible outcome for the Tees Valley.”

It comes following a meeting of North East leaders on Thursday, October 29, to discuss a potential move into the ‘very high’ alert level.

The meeting saw political leaders in the North East agree that the data supported the region remaining in Tier 2, however a meeting with the Government about possibly being placed in Tier 3 is expected to take place on Monday.

In a statement, leaders said: “Since we introduced restrictions on September 18, thanks to the collective efforts of the North East, we have seen the rate of Covid infections slowing down but sadly they are still too high.

“Our directors of public health met with the chief medical officer yesterday (October 28), who agreed our region’s data was plateauing, but it is clear the situation the North East still finds itself in is concerning.”

A move into Tier 3 would mean that pubs and bars will have to close down unless they are serving “substantial meals”, while also preventing residents making overnight stays in other parts of the UK or meeting up with people from other households in private gardens.

That comes on top of current Tier 2 restrictions banning households from mixing in any indoor setting.

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