Landlords in Stamford, Bourne and Market Deeping express disappointment at Lincolnshire's Tier 3 rules
Landlords and hotel owners have shared their disappointment that they will be forced to remain closed to customers after the lockdown ends.
Lincolnshire is among the counties facing the toughest government restrictions from next week.
While under the tier 3 rules that non-essential shops, gyms and hairdressers are able to open, pubs and restaurants will be forced to remain closed with takeaway service only.
Many people have called for the tiers to be implemented by district due to Lincolnshire being the second largest county in the country.
Stamford, Bourne and Market Deeping border Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland, which have all been put into tier 2.
Richard and Verity Swinscoe, owners of the Iron Horse Ranch House in Market Deeping, have written to their MP, Sir John Hayes (Con), to express "concern and disgust" that the whole of Lincolnshire was put in tier 3.
In the letter they said: "Only [yesterday] morning the major news outlets were saying we had one of the lowest rates for a county of our size and we could be looking at tier 1.
"How can we go from the bottom tier of restrictions to the top tier of restriction in a matter of hours? How is it that the whole county which is vast and has a very different demographics can be subject to the same restrictions?
"How can we be deemed to be more at risk in rural Lincolnshire than the centre of London? Currently, according to the Government’s website, South Kesteven District Council cases are 189/100,000 compared to Peterborough’s 208/100,000."
At the premises in High Street, the pair are able to look out of their beer garden and see the now tier 2 area in Cambridgeshire.
"We could be in the situation where Deepings' shops, hospitality businesses are abandoned for the brighter freer lights of Peterborough," said the pair.
"Our high street is already dying, surely it could not survive this?"
Like many businesses, the pair invested money into the premises to make it Covid-secure in the run up to Christmas - their busiest period.
They told Mr Hayes said: "A good Christmas can help many businesses get through the tougher winter months until the spring.
"These restrictions could mean the difference between our business’ survival or our business closing forever."
Katie Genever, who runs the Bertie Arms in Uffington with her husband James, was also shocked after finding out they wouldn't be able to reopen on December 2.
She said: "We were expecting tier 2 and there was even a small glimmer of a tier 1. I didn't think tier 3 would be on the cards.
"I think it's hugely unfair the south of the county is lumped in together with the whole of Lincolnshire."
Katie believes that the Government should review its plan as being in a rural setting is less of a risk than being in a city with higher contact rates.
"I feel like we've taken the blame for the rest of the county.
"It's particularly difficult for Stamford because a lot of the counties near here are in tier 2, so customers from Northamptonshire and Rutland can still go out and spend money. Once it's spent it's gone."
She added: "The hospitality industry has been a scapegoat right from the word go.
"We've all made massive efforts to make sure we are Covid-safe and don't put customers or staff at any risk."
Many have argued the reason for keeping pubs closed in tier 3 but opening other non-essential businesses is due to the effect of alcohol. However, Katie believes it could have something to do with it being an industry which employs young people.
She added that the business is 'really struggling' and that she has written to Gareth Davies MP (Con) to raise concerns.
The Bertie Arms will continue to offer a takeaway service while not being able to open to customers. More details can be found on their website.
The news also came as a surprise to staff at the George Hotel, which was gearing up for a festive reopening on December 5.
On Wednesday afternoon (November 25) a message was e-mailed to their customers notifying them of the reopening. However, less than 24-hours later it was made clear the hotel would not be opening due to Stamford being put in tier 3.
Lawrence Hoskins, owner of the George Hotel, said that many people 'were in tears' over the phone at the news the business would not open on December 2.
He said: "I was looking at the figures and we had got thousands of people booked in over the next four weeks and we are going to have to cancel.
"If you take the whole period and the five weeks of the Christmas period to January we had 20,000 people through the doors for the restaurant or the bedrooms.
"If we've got to cancel all the way through, 20,000 people are going to be disappointed."
The George Hotel in Stamford is not offering any takeaway services while remaining closed.
Marston’s which owns the Sugar Mill in Bourne, The Old Buttercross in Oakham and the Marquess of Exeter in Lyddington has also shared its frustration on behalf of the pubs.
Ralph Findlay, chief executive of Marston's, said: “In early July, we were credited for having opened safely and responsibly.
"Since the end of September, the UK Government has leaked, launched, and layered a labyrinth of legislation on pubs and pubgoers, and our employees are paying a heavy price.
"This latest plan smacks of the fog of politics, and the Prime Minister has lost his way.”
In a post on Facebook, Knead Pubs - which has pubs in Stamford, Bourne and Oakham - described the news as a 'shock'.
Paten and Co, The Crown Hotel, The Tobie Norris in Stamford, and Smith's of Bourne and Jubilee Garage in Bourne are all under tier 3 regulations.
The Lord Nelson in Oakham will also remained closed despite being able to open within the tier 2 rules.
Pubs, restaurants and hotels in tier 2 areas are not supposed to take bookings from people living in a tier 3 area.
The Olive Branch in Clipsham and Hambleton Hall in Oakham are among those who have told tier 3 customers they can only accept bookings from people living in tier 1 or 2.
- If you are a business owner, tell us how you feel about the new tier system by e-mailing maddy.baillie@iliffepublishing.co.uk
- People with views on the tier system locally can also write to our letters page at smeditor@stamfordmercury.co.uk
