City centre packed again
NEWCASTLE city centre was packed with Christmas shoppers again as the region marked the second weekend since the end of the national lockdown.
While visibly quieter than last weekend, the city’s streets were still bustling on Sunday with less than a fortnight left until Christmas.
Since the national lockdown ended on December 2, the North East is now subject to the toughest Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions.
However, the Government has allowed non-essential shops to open to give businesses a boost in the runup to Christmas.
Large queues could be seen outside Primark on Northumberland Street, and for the Fenwick Christmas window display.
Many shoppers were seen wearing face masks and were able to queue safely with barriers set up outside stores and social distancing measures in place.
‘City hosts’ were also on hand to help customers shop safely, while signs on the approach to the city centre advised people to avoid queues on Percy Street for the Eldon Square car parks, and seek alternative parking at Manors.
It was revealed earlier this week that a Christmas shopping surge on the first Saturday after lockdown left Newcastle city centre busier than in pre-Covid times.
Saturday’s total footfall on Northumberland Street, the city’s most popular shopping area, was 36% higher than it was on the first Saturday in December 2019, according to council bosses.
Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah was among those who raised safety concerns over the number of shoppers who flocked to the city centre on the first weekend after England’s second national lockdown ended, fearing it could lead to virus outbreaks.
She warned the situation was “not good for retailers and not good for the Covid crisis”, while Newcastle City Council has admitted that there were “some issues in relation to queuing and pinch points”.
At its peak around Saturday lunchtime, approximately 5,000 people per hour were seen walking up and down Northumberland Street.
And the trend continued throughout the day, with the shopping area still remaining busy between 4pm and 7pm - when there was still an hourly average of more than 3,800.
The total footfall figure for the day on Northumberland Street was roughly 37,000, the council said, which was 36% up from Saturday, December 7 last year - despite the pandemic, the continuing closure of pubs and restaurants, and the absence of a Christmas market from the city centre.
The high street was quieter on Sunday, however, with a total footfall of 20,600 - down 10,000 compared to the equivalent day in 2019.