Plymouth is gearing up to help the city bounce back from lockdown, but everyone needs to play their part in keeping each other safe and the city out of restrictions.
Plymouth City Council has put together a plan with Devon and Cornwall Police, Destination Plymouth, the City Centre Company and Plymouth Waterfront Partnership to prepare for the reopening of non-essential businesses from Monday and to help everyone stay safe.
The plan comes with a health warning from the Director of Public Health, Dr Ruth Harrell, she said: “I know everyone is really excited about getting back to a semblance of normality, but we are not there yet.
“My message is just take it easy and give each other plenty of space. Covid is here and as we have seen before, it does not take much for the case figures to rise. Enjoy shopping, have a drink outside or get your lockdown locks sorted, but please please follow the guidance of hands, face and space. It really works!”
This is how the Council and its partners are helping the city get ready:
Keeping the city clean
- There are over 1,000 bins, with some in popular spots emptied more than four times a day.
- 100 dual bins - one for normal rubbish and one for recycling around the Hoe. and Waterfront. These are emptied at least three times.
- Extra staff means crews are working extended hours from 6am until 8pm.
- Extra public bulk bins have been put on the Hoe Promenade.
- An extra electric street sweeper is in use to sort hygiene and urine issues.
- Cleaning teams working seven days a week and an extra late shift from now until October to keep an eye on cleanliness and the bins.
- Litter enforcement officers patrolling the waterfront and Barbican.
- To report broken glass and large amounts of litter, giving as much information about where and what as possible.
- To report a full bin
Toilets
- There are now 13 temporary loos on the Hoe, which are emptied daily and cleaned three times a day and two in Vauxhall Street car park.
- Toilets in the City Centre and the Waterfront are cleaned three times a day. There are three accessible toilets upstairs at Armada Way available from 8am to midnight for those with a radar key, up to 6pm for others.
- Toilets around the Barbican remain open until 11pm.
- Our toilet attendants work every day to monitor and report any issues.
- Across the city there are plenty of toilets. Check the website for opening hours.
Feeling safe
- Covid marshals will patrol the Barbican, the waterfront and parks, particularly weekends and Bank Holidays from 10am to midnight initially. Working alongside the police, they will help deal with anti-social behaviour and COVID regulations. Particular attention will be paid to making sure people stick to the rule of six and two households only limit.
- Taxi and street marshals on the Barbican and at Derry’s Cross ranks on Saturday nights and key dates to ensure COVID compliance and reduce disorder.
- CCTV coverage across key locations, including the Hoe.
- A CCTV mobile patrol vehicle will be out and staff in the CCTV control centre will monitor the city.
- A Public Space Protection Order is now in effect in Plymouth. This is not a blanket alcohol ban but makes it an offence for anyone who refuses to stop drinking alcohol or hand over bottles or cans believed to contain alcohol, when asked to do so by a police or authorised officer.
- A section 35 dispersal order can be used by police to ask people to leave certain locations to prevent disorder.
- A pop-up youth service to engage with youngsters.
Keeping our businesses and their customers safe
- Visits from both council and police licensing staff to premises citywide to give advice and take enforcement action, where necessary.
- Free permits for outside seating areas.
- Packs of information and updated guidance issued to hundreds of businesses.
Parking
- Multi storey car parks take credit or debit card only. Other car parks and on-street can be paid via RingGo, the mobile phone app, website or phone.
- Safe distancing markers around pay facilities have been refreshed.
- The ‘click and collect’ 1 hour free parking within the three city centre car parks will end and parking charges are now back to usual.
City Centre manager Steve Hughes added: “This is what we have been missing, the chance to catch up, have a coffee, beer or bite to eat outdoors with friends or family. We are really looking forward to seeing people, but we need customers to do what the businesses ask of them. They are doing their best to comply with the law - to keep us all safe.”
Shopping in the city centre will be similar to the last time lockdown was lifted. Social distancing will remain in place and shoppers may need to wait in a queue outside shops as well as Drake Circus.
Plymouth Market will reopen but there’s a limit to the number of customers allowed in at any one time. People will have to go in and out via Market Ave and the car park entrances. It will open from 9am to 4.30pm.