BRADFORD will need to plan for a “living with Covid” period once lockdown ends - with social distancing likely to be in place for some time after lockdown.

With the UK about to enter a seventh week of lockdown, some businesses are starting to re-open on a limited basis.

Stores like Marks & Spencer are gradually re-opening non-food areas, and fast food chains like McDonalds and KFC are looking at how they can open for business while still maintaining social distancing.

At a meeting of Bradford Council’s Executive on Thursday, members heard that as well as having to deal with the health impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic - it was also important to plan for how the District’s economy will recover.

The meeting heard that as well as looking forward to a period, likely to be when a vaccine is developed, when the country is Covid free, Bradford also had to look at how it will operate in the “living with Covid-19” period after lockdown, when many social distancing measures are still likely to be in place.

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Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: “We need to think about the future, and we’re now starting to think how we move out of lockdown. We need businesses to recover, and we have to recognise that there will be more intervention from the public sector than before.”

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Executive for Regeneration, Housing and Transport, said in the long term projects like the Darley Street Market, the Bradford live development and One City Park would help regenerate the city. But in the medium term work would focus on how to support businesses to keep social distancing once they re-open.

Steve Hartley, Director of Place, said: “We need to make sure all businesses have the best advice about safe distancing and safe travel.

“I was recently talking to Ian Ward (manager of The Broadway Shopping Centre) about how they can start to move into the position where retail can come back and operate safely.

“In the medium tern, living with Covid, we will still likely have to have safe distancing.

“Some businesses have really struggled, some have adapted on a reduced service, but some have adapted and are actually growing to meet different needs. There is the potential to build on this. We have to make sure businesses have the help to get back as quickly as possible.”

He said the Council had set up a cultural recovery group that would look at ways hospitality and leisure sector can recover. It was also important to look at how large public events that attract thousands to Bradford to spend money could return safely in the future - the meeting was told.