Pubs, Bars, Cafes and Restaurants with Premises Licenses, with their own outdoor areas were permitted to open from Monday 13th July 2020 in order to provide the sale of alcohol in seated outdoor areas only.
The Council’s Public Protection Officers are working closely with Heddlu Gwent Police to ensure businesses respect the rules to protect their customers and staff. Extra Officers will be deployed when needed and further action will be taken against businesses who deliberately flout them. Customers are strongly urged to behave responsibly and comply with the rules at each establishment.
Re-opening will be subject to other controls or Guidance. Licensed premises are required to provide safe systems of work for staff and members of the public.
The following guidance from Welsh Government provides more detailed advice to the trade:
https://gov.wales/tourism-and-hospitality-businesses-guidance-phased-reopening-html
Within this guidance you are required to take details of those individuals visiting your establishment to assist with contact tracing should the need arise. This is extremely important to protect you, your staff and your customers and to enable the Test, Trace and Protect service to contact and provide timely advice to anyone who may have been exposed to person/s whom are a confirmed case of COVID-19. If you have concerns over the taking of details from customers for contact tracing, useful guidance has been issued from the Information Commissioners Office and can be accessed on the following hyper link below: https://ico.org.uk/global/data-protection-and-coronavirus-information-hub/coronavirus-recovery-data-protection-advice-for-organisations/collecting-customer-and-visitor-details-for-contact-tracing/
We've pulled together a list of useful links and resources that may further assist you in planning and continuing to manage a safe reopening of your business and we would encourage you to access this information here:
https://www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/en/business/advice-for-business-covid-19/
The UK Hospitality Guidance also provides advice in relation to conducting Risk Assessments prior to re-opening accessible here:
https://www.ukhospitality.org.uk/page/WalesGuidance
Information in relation to provision of toilets is available via https://gov.wales/providing-safer-toilets-public-use-coronavirus
Club Premises i.e Rugby, Football, Cricket and Social / Workingmen’s Clubs should seek advice in relation to their own premises from the Licensing Section as to whether they will be able to open. The Licensing Team can be contacted via Licensing.bgcbc@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk
In addition, we hope businesses will find the following additional tips from our Licensing Team helpful in making arrangements to reopen safely:-
- Music – Background recorded music permitted only. Despite being guidance only, the risks of virus spread may be increased with higher volume of music, as people need to raise voices in order to compete with the volume
- Ordering/Paying inside – We recommend table service outdoors to help you and staff. Guidance only states consumption at tables therefore ordering and paying can take place inside if you chose to do so. However we strongly recommend you do not have queues inside for paying or ordering at the bar. The more areas your customers visit the more cleaning you and staff will be asked to do. Ordering at the bar will cause you problems as consumption is only permitted outside at the table therefore to simplify why this is difficult. People naturally spread around a bar and lean on it rather than queue up 2m apart. Simply if you serve a pint at the bar and they take a sip you break the law as they consume inside therefore the benefits to outdoor table service are really clear
- Supply Areas – There is nothing wrong with you having a temporary service point / bar outside to help you serve drinks easily. Unfortunately you cannot put a till in this outdoor bar area unless the red line attached to your premises licence plan covers the outdoor area. The till needs to remain within this red line and card payment machines also need to be connected to the inside. If anyone is struggling with understanding the requirements of their licence please contact Licensing
- Risk Assessment – Get the paperwork agreed and make sure all staff are familiar with it and understand the requirements. You may wish to ask them questions and give them scenarios to think about to ensure that they understand before you open. Help them as much as practically possible. The guidance states you should show your customers the risk assessment, preferably prior to their visit so that they understand the controls you have in place. Think about putting it on your website, emailing it to them prior to visiting your premises at the point of booking and encourage them to ask questions prior to their visit if they are not clear on what will be expected of them when they visit your business. Consider applying for “we’re Good To Go’ mark to display in your business and give your customers confidence that you have processes in place to manage COVID-19: https://goodtogo.visitbritain.com/home