PLANNING restrictions relating to the movement of food and essential supplies are being relaxed by Wychavon District Council to ensure everyone has access to all the items they need during the coronavirus outbreak.
Prior to the announcement there were some restrictions about how many deliveries can be received by food suppliers, supermarkets, food retailers and distribution centres and the times of day they could be made.
But now they have all been lifted to give retailers the flexibility they need.
The council hopes it will minimise disruption to supply chains and make deliveries of food and other essential items as quickly as possible.
The measures are being put in place until the end of May when they will be reviewed and extended if needed.
The move is in relation to an announcement in Parliament last week by Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
He said local authorities should undertake planning enforcement action to unnecessarily restrict food and other essential deliveries.
Coun Tony Rowley, who is responsible for Planning, Infrastructure and Urban Design on Wychavon District Council, said: “We know this will have an impact on some of our residents who may face disruption as a result of this.
“We apologise in advance for that but we feel doing whatever we can to help retailers get essential items on to shelves and to the people who need them is likely to outweigh any other concerns at this time.”
Businesses in Wychavon needing to operate outside of their approved collection/delivery hours should email [email protected] or call 01684 862221.
