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Oct 2020

Last Updated: 08/10/2020

Politics

Harrogate Borough Council gets £58,000 for covid enforcement

by Calvin Robinson

| 08 Oct, 2020

The funding is part of the £60m awarded by the national government to councils and police forces across the country to enforce coronavirus restrictions. North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has been allocated £291,987 as part of the deal.

Harrogate Borough Council offices at Knapping Mount.

Harrogate Borough Council has been allocated £57,951 today as part of government attempts to enforce coronavirus restrictions.

The government has awarded £60 million to councils and police forces across the country.

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has been allocated £291,987 as part of the deal.

Councils are expected to use the money for compliance and enforcement, such as recruiting covid marshals, carrying out inspections, issuing fines and closing premises in the case of non-compliance.

Although covid marshals will not have any enforcement powers, government guidance says they should "engage, explain and encourage best practice and national covid secure guidance".

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Last month, the borough council said it had received no detail on covid marshals so could not plan for how they could be used in the district.

A council spokesman said: “In partnership with the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, the development of any scheme is still under review.”

The government also said the funding would allow police to increase patrols in town centres and ensure that people are complying with the new restrictions, particularly in high-risk areas.

Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said more clarity was needed on the guidance before plans could be put in place.

She said:

““With an area as large and diverse as North Yorkshire and York, it is likely what’s needed in one place will be very different to another so it’s important we get that right.

"We now have some information from government, but we await more clarity so we can progress the plans.”

Robert Jenrick, local government secretary, said:

“Councils play a crucial role in protecting people’s safety, supporting businesses and helping the public to better understand the guidance. This new funding will ensure they can step this up further and continue to act proactively.”

Officials at North Yorkshire’s Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of public agencies that responds to emergencies, has warned that the county faced a “tipping point” amid increased infections.

In Harrogate, the weekly case rate stands at 97.6 per 100,000 people and the district saw a further 24 coronavirus cases confirmed yesterday.

The highest rate in the county is in Craven at 136.5. Local resilience forum officials expect the district to be added to the government's coronavirus watchlist this week.

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Harrogate Borough Council gets £58,000 for covid enforcement

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