Supermarket served with Improvement Notice

Asda supermarket in Pyle has been served with an Improvement Notice by enforcement officers after failing to ensure social distancing could be maintained in the store.

Officers said the layout at the entrance to the store was causing concern with customers entering on one side but then having to cross paths with other customers in order to follow a one-way system.

Cllr Dhanisha Patel, the Cabinet Member whose portfolio includes Shared Regulatory Services, said: “The Premises Improvement Notice was issued today (Thursday, October 15) – if the store makes the necessary improvements tomorrow, the notice will be lifted.

“Shared Regulatory Services have been proactively visiting premises across the county borough and are offering support and advice to ensure businesses can meet their responsibilities in keeping staff and customers safe during the pandemic.

“We know the majority of businesses are complying with regulations and enforcement officers have no concerns at all about the measures in place at these premises.”

Welsh Government regulations require people responsible for premises to take all reasonable measures to ensure that a two-metre distance can be maintained between people who are on the premises or are waiting to go in to the premises, and to provide information to anyone entering or working there on how to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus.

They must also take other reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure, primarily by improving hygiene and minimising face-to-face interaction, especially in situations where two-metre distancing isn’t possible.

Premises Improvement Notices specify the measures that need to be taken in order to meet the regulations within a certain time limit, usually 48 hours.

If the premises fail to comply, enforcement officers can issue a Premises Closure Notice, requiring the premises, or part of it, to be closed for up to 14 days. In some circumstances, enforcement officers will also be able to close the premises immediately without having served an improvement notice, but this would only be where there has been a sufficiently serious breach of regulations.