Blackpool Theatre boss calls for clarity for resort's leisure industry

Whilst schools, shops and some businesses have been given dates as to when they are likely to return, there is still no official announcement as to how or when venues in the resort can open their doors.

Key figures in the town are bracing themselves for the likelihood social distancing measures will remain later into the year, resulting in limited capacity across a number of the attractions and venues.

Chief executive of the Grand Theatre ,Ruth Eastwood said the numbers for a live audience peak at 350 at the historic Church Street theatre, with investments they have made to make the venue covid secure but planning for events remain on hold until they receive further clarity on when the doors can reopen.

She said: "It is a collective issue we have across the resort and the same for many in the leisure industry, without that little bit of certainty, there is little we can do.

"The greatest problem is we can 't just stop and start again. We have all invested a lot to get ourselves ready and make all the attractions as secure as possible.

"Businesses are still hurting from what occurred at Christmas - it costs a lot. We've all discussed the issues and it's frustrating, at the same time, safety comes first."

Ms Eastwood said the Grand team, who are waiting on their response for their second application to the Culture Recovery Fund , remain optimistic for their return in 2021.

She said: "Between last March and Christmas we were in what you call crisis management. It was really intense as the landscape was always changing, shifting shows, administering refunds, anticipating booking new shows.

"The second lockdown finally gave us some stop time and with that date of March 8 we actually knew we could hit pause. We've had time to plan and sort things out. The past year has given the opportunity to work more collaboratively with other theatres, going through the same issues and discuss different initiatives.

"The support given through the grants and the furlough scheme has made a real difference and meant we had to make far fewer redundancies than we first thought."

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