BRIDGEND MP Jamie Wallis is calling on Bridgend County Borough Council to suspend enforcement of the Sunday trading laws to enable NHS and other key workers to do their shopping.
Dr Wallis pointed out that some other local authorities have told supermarkets that they can start selling goods when they open at 9am. Officially, this is designated as a browsing hour with the tills not being opened until 10am. At the moment, many supermarkets are reserving this hour for NHS staff, carers and other front line workers in the Coronavirus pandemic.
He said: “We need to be pragmatic during this unprecedented situation and I am hoping BCBC will allow stores to start selling goods to priority customers within that hour. Otherwise you have a situation where NHS staff are waiting for the tills to open as the doors of the shop are opened to everyone else. If they can buy their goods earlier, these key staff can be away and out of the store before others arrive. “
Dr Wallis said that BCBC had been flexible about many issues and council leader Huw David had been prepared to listen to suggestions.
He went on: “We have engaged in a constructive conversation about how we can all work together to get through this.
“This is the time to forget party politics and for everyone including MP’s, AM’s and councillors to just collaborate and seek the best outcome for the people of Bridgend and surrounding area. “
Dr Walls is also hoping that BCBC will be able to follow the lead set by other local authorities and provide some free car parking in Bridgend and Porthcawl for key workers.
“We need to make the lives of those who are risking their lives on the front line as easy as possible,” he said. “Allowing them to visit our town centres without having to pay to park when they pop to a local shop will not only be helpful to them but will also encourage them to support small businesses instead of just going to the big supermarkets.
“We want to have our town centres still functioning when this is all over. We have already lost too many shops so anything which helps them should be supported.”
