Preparations underway for return of university students

Work continues to prepare for the return of university students to Loughborough.

Charnwood Borough Council officers have been visiting town pubs and bars to offer advice and guidance to landlords and managers.

The Council has been working with Loughborough University, Leicestershire County Council, Leicestershire Police, the NHS to manage the safe return of students. Loughborough College are also involved in the planning as its students have returned to their studies.

They say Loughborough University and Loughborough College has introduced a range of measures to make sure students are following coronavirus guidance on and off campus.

The Government introduced new guidance on September 14 which means people can only visit places such as pubs, cafes and restaurants in groups of six. Larger groups will need to sit at different tables and must not mingle with other tables or groups. Under the guidance, households or support bubbles larger than six can sit together providing the business has a Covid Risk Assessment and Covid Secure controls in place.

However, the Council is advising pubs, cafes and restaurants to stick to the rule of six if they can. Different households can sit together but not in groups of more than six.

Councillor Jenny Bokor, the Council’s lead member for Loughborough, said: "The night-time economy is still getting to grips with the new way of operating and while the return of many students is welcome for many reasons, landlords need to ensure they are complying with all the latest guidance about the safe management and operation of bars and pubs.

"Just this week new guidance has been issued and it is important we work with local businesses to ensure they understand what is required of them.

"We want everyone to enjoy Loughborough’s night life in a safe and enjoyable way. We all have a role to play in reducing the transmission of this virus and the rules are there for a reason – to protect everyone.

"All of us, including students, need to be responsible for not passing this virus on which can be done without showing any symptoms. Please respect social distancing, wash your hands frequently and wear a mask if you can."