The Regulations
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 provide for the closure and operating restrictions of a variety of businesses. Norfolk’s Environmental Health and Trading Standards Officers, together with Norfolk Constabulary are tasked with enforcing the requirements.
These regulations were introduced to encourage all of us to stay at home and to practice social distancing when out to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The regulations allow for certain types of retail businesses to remain open. Examples include:
- Food retailers
- Pharmacies
- Newsagents
- Petrol stations
- Bicycle and car repair shops
- Homeware and hardware stores
- Pet shops
Any retail establishment permitted to remain open must adopt social distancing measures as advised by the Government. These businesses can also operate via a click and collect method to assist their customers in feeling safer when purchasing goods.
All other retail businesses that sell goods (or hire them) in a shop must cease to carry on that business. They can however, operate a delivery service resulting from online, phone or postal orders but must not allow anyone other than those necessary to carry out those activities (i.e. staff) to enter their business premises.
It is currently considered that businesses that are required to close cannot operate click and collect services from their premises.
DIY stores
As homeware and hardware shops are permitted to be open, DIY shops can remain open and/or operate click and collect and delivery services. These businesses must adopt social distancing requirements.
However, it must be remembered that anyone travelling to a DIY store needs to have a reasonable excuse to have left or be outside their home. The regulations state that a person has a ‘reasonable excuse’ where they are travelling to obtain basic necessities which include supplies for the essential upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household (or the household of a vulnerable person). Travel for supplies is therefore likely to include the need to obtain parts to fix a plumbing or roof problem but not to collect paint and brushes for interior decorating.
Garden Centres
As the types of businesses that can remain open include food, pet food and hardware retailers, it may be that some garden centres are permitted to remain open where these goods are sold alongside more traditional garden centre products.
Businesses must adopt social distancing measures.
All customers must have a reasonable excuse to travel to the garden centre. Customers who have made the journey to purchase food or pet food and also, incidentally, buy a plant will be more likely to be deemed as having a ‘reasonable excuse’. Those who have made the journey solely to buy a tray of pansies will not.
Garden centres that are solely plant nurseries are not permitted to open as their retail business type is not listed as being allowed to remain open. They can however operate a delivery service.
If you want to report a retail business that is failing to follow national guidance you can call Norfolk County Council’s Trading Standards on 0808 223 1133.
Further information
Find out more about which businesses should still be open visit:
For support for businesses go to
www.newangliagrowthhub.co.uk or call them on 0300 333 6536.
Or visit
