New Welsh restrictions a hammer blow for border businesses
Confusion over different coronavirus rules on the Shropshire/Wrexham border is causing economic hardship and personal upset.
People in the town of Chirk and the Ceiriog valley as well as villages all along the north Shropshire border were today coming to terms with new restrictions that will be enforced at 6pm today.
Pubs, cafes and restaurants face a massive drop in businesses as people won’t be able to cross the Shropshire or Denbighshire borders to visit, while locals can no longer sit with those outside their immediate family.
Paul Rogers of the Hand Hotel in Chirk said his accommodation had been fully booked last week.
“Now 95 per cent of people have cancelled for this weekend, because they are from outside the county and I am guessing that our restaurant booking will be about 50 per cent down.”
Mr Rogers, who gave free rooms to NHS workers wanting to isolate from their families at the height of the pandemic, said the new restrictions were a “hammer blow”.
“In July, August and September we were really busy and with the Eat Out to Help out so popular we brought our staff off furlough. We can’t re-furlough them and yet the new job retention scheme doesn’t come into force until November 1. I just don’t know how we will cope.”
