This coming weekend marks significant changes to Government guidance for our high streets as part of measures to further ease the lockdown.

On Saturday (July 4) the majority of other businesses that make up our market towns can open, including food, drink, recreation and leisure businesses, offering a new variety of local businesses to once again open their doors to the general public.

Last week, The Hunts Post announced the launch of the Reopening Huntingdonshire campaign, which is being supported by this newspaper and other partners and organisations.

The six-week campaign is being led by Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) and is aimed at supporting businesses through the challenges of the next few months. It will also provide information about what is being done to ensure that our market towns are safe shopping environments for residents and businesses. One of the core messages of the campaign is to encourage people to shop locally and support local high streets and businesses.

HDC says it is important going into this weekend that residents continue to shop safely in their local high streets, as more measures are put in place to empower further businesses to open.

Executive leader of HDC, Cllr Ryan Fuller, said: “We are keen to ensure that all of our local businesses that can now reopen are in the best possible position to do so, with the appropriate safety measures in place. The district council is actively working to make sure that there are no impediments that could stand in the way of an efficient and safe reopening of businesses across the district.

“We are working in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council to implement new licensing regulations that will allow pubs and restaurants to open with confidence. New processes are being designed and created currently to help businesses and we will be launching more measures in the coming days.”

INFO: Businesses looking for advice can contact the district council who will do all that they can to support their reopening. HDC says Businesses must approach this reopening period with the correct public liability assessments complete and have plans in place to ensure customer safety. Businesses and residents can visit: www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/reopening to view the district council’s individual town plans, check directories of local businesses that are open per market town and more.