HOSPITALITY businesses are being reassured that the county council is prepared to do everything that can be reasonably done to help them reopen safely in July.

As the hospitality and tourism industry prepares to reopen following the easing of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, North Yorkshire County Council wants to work with organisations and businesses at every level.

Cllr Don Mackenzie said: “We are very sympathetic to the needs of hospitality businesses and recognise the importance of an industry that employs thousands of people and adds more than £920m annually to the county’s economy.

“We will do everything we can to support businesses seeking to use some of the public highway to facilitate trade at a very difficult time.

“We want to work with borough and district councils, Business Improvement Districts, chambers of trade and individual businesses to consider the most appropriate use of the highway to support social distancing and to help hospitality businesses to trade legitimately.”

For example, in Harrogate the council’s highways team has been visiting businesses to understand the pressures of reopening and to find out how best to support them.

They were able to give advice, while considering the safe implementation of any plans and the need to accommodate the public.