Plea to support Hartlepool's pubs and restaurants - 'most important industry in the country' - ahead of July 4 reopening

Scores of premises are expected to open their doors for the first time in more than three months on Saturday, July 4, following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Popping to the bar and queueing at the carvery, however, will be very different in the foreseeable future with a host of new measures in place to prevent any fresh coronavirus outbreak.

While many businesses are delaying reopening on health and safety or economic grounds, the chairman of Hartlepool Licensees’ Association expects around 70 per cent of the town’s hospitality sector to have reopened within a week.

Darab Rezai said: “It is very important that we support the industry locally because the hospitality industry is the most important industry in the country.

“I went to the MetroCentre to buy a couple of things recently and I noticed there was a very sombre mood there. It was because all the cafes, the restaurants and the bars were closed.

“They are the heart of industry and it is crucial they can all survive because so many people’s livelihoods depend on it.

“We support so many people who need these jobs to get through their lives.”

Hartlepool Labour MP Mike Hill has also stressed the importance of supporting Hartlepool’s hospitality industry while questioning the wisdom of allowing it to fully reopen on a Saturday.

Some popular venues, such as the Fisherman’s Arms, on the Headland, are waiting to see how others manage and because they hope the new one metre-plus social distancing guideline may even be quickly scrapped.

Mr Rezai’s own business, the Harbour View restaurant, on the Marina, is also busy completing health and safety changes before it reopens “very soon”.

He added: “Many are still reopening on Saturday and I think around 70% will be open within a week.

“This coronavirus is something we have to live with. It is not something which will go away forever

“It is a balancing act and it is about everyone being careful, using sanitisers and keeping your distance while supporting local business.

“But please support them. If they go it will be very hard for them to reopen.”

Mr Hill said: “I will be certainly supporting the local economy either by grabbing a coffee or going for a pint.

“It is important we support these businesses as they have suffered for four months now and the hospitality industry will support thousands of people here in Hartlepool.”

But he added: “While the reopening of the pubs and other businesses on Saturday is a milestone on the road to economic recovery, I strongly believe that any reopening of the pubs in particular should have been on a phased basis.

“Opening them at the start of the week rather than on a Saturday would have been better so they could get used to the new regulations and I do have serious concerns about the potential repercussions of opening up at the weekend.

“I sincerely hope everyone goes out, enjoys themselves and behaves themselves while abiding by those new regulations.”

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