UKHospitality has written to Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock MP requesting urgent clarification around the introduction of additional tier 3 restrictions in Nottinghamshire.
The measures announced yesterday go beyond those announced in other areas and include tighter restrictions on cafes and coffee shops.
Under the Nottinghamshire rules, all hospitality businesses must serve table meals to customers indoors, thereby prohibiting the sale of non-alcoholic drinks without a meal in coffee shops and cafes.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said, “Yesterday’s announcement was very worrying. There are additional restrictions in Nottinghamshire that go well beyond what is being applied in other regions. It effectively creates a “tier 3 plus” category.
“The extra restrictions on cafes and coffee shops, in particular, looks to be causing confusion and has the potential to be incredibly harmful to businesses. There is now a lack of consistency in a system that was supposed to be simple and standardised.
“What we have now is a pick and mix approach to introducing restrictions.. There is a real concern that this could be repeated elsewhere with even tighter measures introduced in other regions without warning. It is not clear why the even tighter restrictions have been introduced and there is no transparency in the decision-making process.
“We need some clarity immediately. Businesses need any stability they can get at the minute and this inconsistent approach cannot be allowed to continue.”
