Bolton pubs and restaurants to reopen

Health secretary Matt Hancock has brought Bolton restrictions on hospitality in line with the rest of Greater Manchester, meaning pubs and restaurants should be able to reopen.

Hospitality businesses in the town can reopen on Saturday having been restricted to takeaway-only since 8 September, with all outlets forced to close between 10pm and 5am every day. It has been the only place in the UK where a localised lockdown has imposed a takeaway-only restriction to hospitality. The tougher measures were brought in to combat a rise in infection rates.

Leader of the council David Greenhalgh said he was “delighted” that Bolton’s hospitality sector “finally has a lifeline”.

He said: “I am delighted that government has finally listened and realised the disparity and unfairness at the way our hospitality sector in Bolton has been treated.

“I have done my very best to put the pressure on and highlight the inequality and the damage to our economy, to jobs and to local businesses, as I know many restauranteurs and landlords have, and this is now a victory for fairness and common sense, and for all those businesses who lobbied and put the case.

“My first priority is to the residents and businesses of this town, and I will continue to fight for these businesses and for more financial help.”

Like the rest of the UK, the 10pm curfew and table service-only restrictions will apply in Bolton, with additional restrictions in the area including that households cannot mix.

Restaurant and bar operators earlier this week urged the government to bring restrictions in the town in line with the rest of the country, saying they felt “let down and forgotten” by the government, with some companies seeing revenues plummet by 92% and struggling to pay wages.

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