Tier three announcement reaction: Business and tourism leaders across Warwickshire not surprised by decision

Business leaders in Warwickshire said they will continue to lobby the government for more financial support after the announcement that the county will stay in the highest tier for Covid restrictions.

As we reported earlier, Warwickshire will now be in tier three over the Christmas and New Year period.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said the latest decision by Government had come as no surprise but that firms – especially

in events, tourism and hospitality – needed to be given an opportunity to trade if they have made themselves Covid-19 secure.

She said: “While we were all hoping to move to Tier 2, this decision hasn’t really taken anyone by surprise.

“We have stated since the very beginning of the crisis that health must come first and while the vaccine has given us all hope of return to normality, businesses will struggle to survive if

they are dormant for the next few months.

“They need the opportunity to trade and, if they can provide evidence that they are Covid secure, there has to be a way of allowing them to open in some capacity. That is the challenge for Government.

“On top of that, businesses are going to need further support through to the end of the crisis and beyond. It simply won’t be possible for them to reopen and everything return to normal. The recovery is going to need nurturing after such a lengthy and deep crisis.”

Nick Abell, chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), said: “The announcement that most of the country is now going to remain in Tier 3 until

Christmas is not surprising.

“Whilst the pandemic continues to impact significantly on our long-suffering businesses, the government has to balance everyone’s freedoms against the clear issues around the

increase in Covid-19 especially as we head towards Christmas.

“As has always been the case, it is a fine balance between the effects of spreading the virus and minimising the impact on our economy.

“Whilst we continue to lobby the government as hard as we can for continued financial support for our businesses to mitigate against some of the impact of their forced closure, I

would urge everybody to not only comply with the restrictions but also use common sense in their behaviour over the festive period.”

Rich Bishop, Federation of Small Businesses West Midlands regional chair, has reacted to today’s confirmation that the whole of Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull will remain in Tier 3 for at least a further two weeks over the Christmas period.

He said: “While it is disappointing to see that Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull will remain in the highest level of tier restrictions it is not surprising given the changeability and volatility of the Covid infection rate.

"However, that does not diminish the sheer level of difficulty this decision presents to our local businesses.

"This makes it certain that our hospitality sector will be closed over the vital Christmas period. This news will be devastating for them. Many pubs, restaurants and hotels make a significant amount of their annual revenue this time of year.

"That will not be the case for 2020 – they’ll be in dangerous deficit without that income with only frankly inadequate funding available.

"Despite all their efforts and investments to protect customers and staff, very sadly today’s news could be the death knell for some wonderful businesses that were perfectly viable and profitable before the pandemic hit.

"We will be calling on Government to step in to provide proportionate funding to cover all businesses who cannot operate due to the local restrictions. This is ‘make or break time’ and funding is the only chance of a life raft .”

Speaking on behalf of tourism businesses in the south Warwickshire area, Helen Peters, chief executive of Shakespeare’s England, said: “Although it is disappointing that Warwickshire remains in Tier three, realistically it is not surprising with the rising number of Covid-19 cases across the country and mounting concerns over the relaxation of the rules during Christmas and the effect that may have.

“Now is the time for people to take full responsibility and abide by the rules, so that we can get the number of cases down and work towards a more positive situation for 2021.”