West Berkshire Council to use Covid marshal funding

'We are taking a highly targeted approach to meeting the requirements of the scheme'

West Berkshire Council will be using Government Covid Marshal funding to support and enforce social distancing in the run-up to Christmas.

The Covid Marshal scheme has been used in different ways around the country, including the use of wardens in cities and large town centres.

The council said that its version would be "less visible but highly targeted" to deliver effective social distancing to reduce risk and infection rates in public and business settings.

Members of the Public Protection Partnership, Public Health and the council’s Economic Development team will be using the funding to provide the following support and enforcement where necessary:

• Working with businesses to increase and maintain compliance
• Profile events to raise awareness and highlight the approach that West Berkshire is taking
• Work with the Newbury Business Improvement District (BID), towns and parishes to raise awareness in local communities
• Follow up concerns raised by the public, police, businesses and employees
• Ensure that residents are aware of their obligations in risk areas, such as shopping areas and events, and within business settings
• Appropriate enforcement against businesses that fall short of compliance or who choose not to comply
• Re-enforcement of messages regarding social distancing/ rule of six and any other prevailing Tier based rule
• Increase/adjust messaging/surveillance and enforcement should Tier levels change
• Policing of events in conjunction with Thames Valley Police where appropriate

West Berkshire's executive member for public protection, Hilary Cole (Con, Chieveley and Cold Ash), said: “We are taking a highly targeted approach to meeting the requirements of the Covid Marshall scheme.

"This will become increasingly important as we enter the busy pre-Christmas period and our towns become even busier and will ensure that we have focused resources in place to educate, support and enforce where necessary in places of increased and maximum risk as shopper density increases and people move to indoor settings as the weather deteriorates.”