Skipton High Street will remain pedestrian-only on market days until the end of 2020

Craven District Council, Skipton Town Council and Skipton BID have confirmed that Skipton High Street will remain closed to traffic on market days until the end of December 2020, to allow safe social distancing.

The High Street has been closed to traffic between 10am to 4pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, since the market reopened in June.  Access to Jerry Croft and the Town Hall car park remains open during these times via the roundabout at the top of the High Street.

Craven is currently in Tier 1 of the Government’s Covid-19 alert levels, with a ‘medium’ risk, which means national restrictions continue to apply.

Councillor Richard Foster, Leader of Craven District Council, said: “The closure of Skipton High Street on market days has been well received by the majority of people. “We want to allow as much space as possible for social distancing to help prevent further rises in the number of Covid-19 cases in Craven. However, we also want to allow Skipton town centre to be safe and open for business.  We know how important the market is to our local economy and the road closure means market stalls can face towards the road. This helps maintain social distancing for market customers and other visitors and pedestrians on the High Street, and helps keep everyone safe.”

Signage has also been put up around the town centre reminding customers of the importance of social distancing, and pointing people towards pedestrian-friendly routes around the town.

A team of Town Centre Ambassadors, and Craven District Council’s Community Safety Officer, is also present on the High Street to assist local residents, visitors and traders – and to liaise with all businesses to try and resolve any matters which might arise.

Before the introduction of the road closure in June, businesses were surveyed to share their thoughts regarding road closures and the reopening of the High Street for the market and non-essential shops.  A total of 164 businesses responded to the survey, with 62% in favour of the road closure, and 22% against.

For further guidance on reopening businesses and workplaces safely, please go to www.cravendc.gov.uk/coronavirus