Boris Johnson is expected to announce that garden centres will be able to open their doors once again in the first steps to ease the economy out of lockdown.
As the country awaits news on the plans for the UK’s exit strategy expected on Sunday. Latest news reported by The Daily Mail says garden centres will be one of the businesses among others that will enable the country to start getting back on track.
Government sources commented ‘they can let customers visit again from Wednesday provided strict social distancing and hygiene measures are in place’.
“Garden centres typically open large open-air spaces where the risk of transmission of coronavirus is lower. With strict social distancing measures in place, we believe they can open safely from next week.”
However, Downing Street has been playing down the speculations about what the next phase in relaxing the rules might be. There have already been some measures implemented, such as allowing tradespeople to carry out work in people’s homes and domestic helpers permitted to return to work as long as the household shows no symptoms.
The Welsh Government have already announced that garden centres will be allowed to start trading again on Monday.
Speaking at a briefing in Cardiff, First Minister Mark Drakeford said, “Our second planned change to the regulations is to allow garden centres to re-open, provided the social distancing rules can be applied.”
This move is being welcomed by garden centres owners and mental health advocates.
The BBC reported that former Minister for Loneliness, Tracey Crouch said: “Gardening and wider horticulture is often used as a means of improving physical and mental well-being so it’s unsurprising that, with the right measures in place and good hygiene controls, many would like to see nurseries re-open soon.”
She added, “It provides a small window of relief from all the bad news, which in itself is good for mental well-being.”
Although garden centres may not be a top priority for some people, Conservative MP for New Forest West, Sir Desmond Swayne said “If you can practise sensible social distancing while at a supermarket, why not a garden centre or a nursery?
“In my own area, we’ve got nurseries unable to furlough their staff despite having no customers and getting rid of plants that they grew.”
Last month, it was reported that a furious garden centre owner in Exeter ripped up a notice ordering him to close. His stock worth £1m would have been potentially thrown away, and he said that selling tools and hardware placed them in the essential business category.
Tony Joyner, owner of Plants Galore in Exeter and Plympton told the BBC, “We owe a million pounds to suppliers and we have 70 people working for us with family and children, their jobs should be protected,” he said.
“The government’s offer to pay 80% of employees’ wages did not go far enough.”
He added: “When we come back in three months’ time we won’t need any employees, we’ve got no money. What we have is £1m worth of stock which has to be sold.”
Millions of plants, trees and shrubs may have to be binned since the lockdown, so this is a welcome step by business owners.