Al fresco dining all set for town centre

THOMAS GEORGE

PARTS of a town centre are about to be transformed into outdoor dining and drinking spaces.

Seating areas will be set up in Ramsbottom’s main square, while another road has been shut to traffic to help businesses recover following the coronavirus high street lockdown.

Bury council has given the go-ahead for the al fresco spaces to help businesses, such as cafes and restaurants, which still need to follow social distancing rules.

From Friday, July 31, The Chocolate Cafe will offer customers an outdoor seating area in Market Place.

Socially distanced rows of tables and chairs will be set up across the road from the shop, with enough space for 24 people.

Hospitality businesses were allowed to reopen

●● Market Place in Ramsbottom earlier this month after lockdown restrictions were eased.

While The Chocolate Cafe has been serving customers for the past two weeks, footfall is still down.

Owner Philip Hargreaves hopes the outdoor seating will reassure customers enough to return.

“Every survey I have seen says customers feel safer outside,” he said.

“There is no outside space in Ramsbottom, so we are creating something new and exciting. We are looking forward to it. There are a few nerves though because we have not done a big service since March.”

The space will open for the first time on Friday and it is hoped the al fresco offering can remain in place until at least the end of summer.

Elsewhere in Ramsbottom, Square Street has been made subject to a temporary traffic regulation order.

The road will be closed to vehicles between Smithy Street and Bridge Street to allow businesses to put tables and chairs outside.

It is hoped that there will be space for as many as 40 customers across Spanish restaurant duo Levanter and Baratxuri and The Vineyard wine shop.

Fiona Botham owns Levanter and Baratxuri along with her husband Joe.

Both businesses have had to cut their capacities in half to comply with the new ‘one metre plus’ social distancing rule.

Without access to outdoor seating, Mrs Botham says reopening would not have been a viable option.

“Both sites are so small and narrow inside,” she explained. “It would have been difficult to cover our overheads.

“The outdoor space just gives us a bit of hope that we can make up some of the shortfall.

“Hopefully people will feel more relaxed about coming.”

Although seating will be made available for both restaurants, the main food offering will be provided by Levanter.

Diners will be able to take advantage of the government’s Eat Out to Help Out discount scheme, which the restaurant has signed up to.

“We are really looking forward to welcoming everyone back,” said Mrs Botham.

“We were looking at what was happening in the Northern Quarter and Ancoats and thinking we were missing out on this summer.

“We have not traded for four months so revenue has completely dried up.”

Coun David Jones, cabinet member for communities and emergency planning, said: “We fully understand the economic impact that the lockdown has had on local businesses, and we will do everything we can to help them and the Bury economy recover and flourish.

“We must also, though, take steps to ensure that this is done in a way that keeps everyone safe.”

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