PLANNING restrictions relating to the movement of food and essential supplies are being relaxed by Malvern Hills District Council to ensure everyone has access to all the items they need during the coronavirus outbreak.
Prior to the announcement there were some restrictions about how many deliveries can be received by food suppliers, supermarkets, food retailers and distribution centres and the times of day they could be made.
But now they have all been lifted to give retailers the flexibility they need.
The council hopes it will minimise disruption to supply chains and make deliveries of food and other essential items as quickly as possible.
The measures are being put in place until the end of May when they will be reviewed and extended if needed.
The move is in relation to an announcement in Parliament last week by Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
He said local authorities should undertake planning enforcement action to unnecessarily restrict food and other essential deliveries.
Coun David Harrison, who is responsible for Planning and Infrastructure on Malvern Hills District Council, said: “We encourage supermarkets, pharmacies and other suppliers of essential items to maintain normal deliveries where possible but this announcement will give them the confidence and flexibility to allow additional deliveries as and when needed, to ensure people get the items they need.”
Businesses in Malvern Hills needing to operate outside of their approved collection/delivery hours should email [email protected] or call 01684 862221.
