SSDC takes enforcement action
South Somerset District Council today issued a prohibition notice, the first since Government ordered business closures
On March 23, the Government ordered a number of businesses to close including pubs and cafes, barbers, beauty salons, hotels and caravan parks, alongside a number of retail premises with a few exceptions.
Takeaway and delivery services may remain open and operational in line with Government guidance. Online retail is still open and encouraged and postal and delivery service will run as normal.
SSDC, acting on information from local police, discovered a local business was still open in breach of the Government guidance.
A spokesman explained “We felt it was appropriate to serve a prohibition notice as a proportionate enforcement response. If prohibition notices are not followed, you may also be taken to court with magistrates able to impose potentially unlimited fines.“
The whole point of the closures was to prevent prolonged close social contact which increases the chance of the COVID-19 infection spreading.
With the support of the police, prohibition notices can be used to require compliance with the Regulations including requiring that an activity ceases.
The business was a licensed premises.