Pub chain puts safety plans in place for future
JD WETHERSPOON has drawn up plans to ensure that its staff and customers are safe before its pubs reopen.
The company, which has two pubs in Southport – The Sir Henry Segrave and The Willow Grove, both in Lord Street – will open when it has the official go-ahead from the Government.
Social distancing measures will result in the employment of two full time staff per pub, slightly more for bigger pubs, who will regularly clean surfaces and touch points throughout the pubs.
It has undertaken extensive employee consultation and has also consulted with many of its suppliers and contractors, as well as referring to UK Hospitality guidelines.
All its pubs will have screens at the till point.
There will also be screens to create seating areas where it is not possible to separate the tables to the social distancing requirement.
Wetherspoon will provide gloves, masks and protective eyewear.
Employees can elect whether to wear them or not, subject to government guidelines.
There will be an average 10 hand sanitiser dispensers around each pub, including at the entrance for customers and staff to use.
Every employee will need to complete and sign a daily health assessment questionnaire to confirm that they are fit to work. This will include having their temperature taken thermometer.
Dedicated staff will monitor the pubs at all times in order to maintain social distancing standards and there will be a member of staff on the door at peak times.
The pubs will use one entrance with a separate exit door where possible.
Customer entry and exit will be marked out by floor stickers and/or barriers and there will be clear printed information providing guidance to customers as they enter the pubs.
Each pub will have a member of staff working full time (two staff per pub to cover all opening hours) to sanitise all the contact points during opening hours.
These will include door handles, allergen information screens, card payment machines and hand rails.
Customers will be asked to use the Wetherspoon order and pay app, wherever possible, or pay at the bar using a credit/debit card and contactless, although cash will be accepted.
using a digital
Staff will hand over all drinks holding the base of the glass and when ordered by the app they will be delivered to the table on a tray and placed on the table using the base of the glass.
Food will be delivered to the table by a member of floor staff.
The pubs will also offer a slightly reduced menu and will provide sachets (ketchup, mayonnaise, salt pepper etc), rather than their usual condiment bottles.
They will be open their usual opening hours.
All staff will receive a full briefing and training on the new way of running the pubs.
Daniel Litherland, manager at The Sir Henry Segrave, said: “At present the Government have not confirmed any reopening date for pubs.
“However, it is important that we are prepared for any announcement.
“We have spent a number of weeks consulting with staff who work in our pubs, as well as area managers in order to draw up our plans.
“The safety of staff and customers is paramount.”
PLANS to transform a row of town centre shops into flats have been submitted to Sefton Council
The proposals for two buildings to be changed into 14 flats, which once housed a number of shops on 447 to 453, Lord Street, were submitted for approval.
Developers said they wish to change the Grade II listed buildings into “four studio apartments and 10 self-contained flats” within the conservation area.
The four-storey buildings once housed the jewellery shop, David Robinson, at property numbers 447 to 449. The shop closed in 2017.
Another shop, Card Warehouse, occupied property numbers 451 to 453 on Lord Street but stopped trading in 2018.
According to documents on Sefton Council’s website the property has been empty ever since.
Developers said due to the buildings remaining vacant since
2018 they will have to be refurbished.
They said that some of the “architectural details” in both building some of have “deteriorated beyond repair” but where possible these would be restored for future occupiers.
They added that both buildings are in “poor condition” and “in need of attention” to stop them further deteriorating.
The document said: “In order to convert the property into a residential use the building will be entirely refurbished and converted to create attractive self-contained flats and four studio apartments.
“Both buildings are presently in poor condition and is in need of attention to avoid it deteriorating further due to it being empty.”
The documents also said that developers believe changing the buildings into residential properties “will ensure that the building is retained and improved for the future.”
The plans added that it would therefore improve the immediate area and the Lord Street Conservation
Area as a whole.