COVID-19 local lockdown regulations in England
On 14 October 2020, all of the statutory instruments discussed below were revoked and replaced with a set of three new regulations implementing a national system of three tiers of restrictions across England.
In each case, the Secretary of State used section 45R of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 to enact the regulations without prior parliamentary consideration, subject to retrospective approval by resolution of each House of Parliament within twenty-eight days.
All leisure and recreational facilities (other than outdoor sports courts or amenities) also had to remain closed, with exceptions only for elite athletes.
[6] These removed Blaby and Charnwood from the protected area,[7] restricting it to the City of Leicester and the Borough of Oadby and Wigston.
3) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/823)[11] which removed the Borough of Oadby and Wigston from the protected area, limiting it solely to the City of Leicester.
[17] On 8 September 2020 The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Blackburn with Darwen and Bradford, Leicester, and North of England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/954) permitted the re-opening in Leicester of indoor swimming pools, gyms, sports facilities, and fitness and dance studios.
[27] These local restrictions were revoked on 14 October 2020 and replaced with regulations implementing a new three-tier system across England.
The regulations exempted Luton from the relaxations that were coming into effect in most other areas of England on the same day, under The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No.
2) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/788), maintaining tighter restrictions on gatherings and requiring more businesses to remain closed.
The regulations exempted Blackburn with Darwen from the relaxations that were coming into effect in most other areas of England on the same day, under The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No.
2) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/788), maintaining tighter restrictions on gatherings and requiring more businesses to remain closed.
[36] On 8 September 2020 The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Blackburn with Darwen and Bradford, Leicester, and North of England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/954) permitted the re-opening in Blackburn with Darwen of conference centres, exhibition halls, casinos, and bowling alleys; as well as indoor skating rinks, swimming pools, play areas, fitness and dance studios, gyms, and sports facilities.
[41] On 8 September 2020 The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Blackburn with Darwen and Bradford, Leicester, and North of England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/954) permitted the re-opening in Bradford of conference centres, exhibition halls, casinos, and bowling alleys; as well as indoor skating rinks, swimming pools, play areas, fitness and dance studios, gyms, and sports facilities.
Specifically 'the protected area' of the regulations comprised the city, Metropolitan Borough and Borough Council areas of Bolton, Tameside, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Trafford, Wigan, Pendle, Hyndburn, Burnley, Rossendale, Calderdale and Kirklees.
[45] The regulations did not bring in any additional business closures, leaving that to be dealt with under the general rules for England set out in The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No.
[46] On 15 August 2020 the scope of SI 2020/828 was widened by The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions on Gatherings) (North of England) (Amendment) (No.
2) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/931) removed from the protected area the towns of Stockport, Burnley and Hyndburn, as well as parts of Calderdale and Kirklees.
[52] On 8 September 2020 The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Blackburn with Darwen and Bradford, Leicester, and North of England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/954) permitted the re-opening in the protected area of conference centres, exhibition halls, casinos and bowling alleys; as well as indoor skating rinks and play areas.
[33][42] Local restrictions were removed from Pendle and Preston, but re-imposed throughout the council areas of Calderdale and Kirklees[42] where they had been partially relaxed on 1 September.
In addition to the existing closure of nightclubs, dance halls, sexual entertainment venues, conference centres, exhibition halls, casinos, bowling alleys, indoor skating rinks and play areas,[63] the regulations required the closure once again of all restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs offering food and drink for consumption on the premises.
[64] Most retail shops were required to close between the hours of 10 pm and 5 am, as were many public venues including cinemas, theatres, bingo halls, concert halls, museums and galleries, indoor visitor attractions and leisure centres, hairdressers, betting shops, nail bars, tanning and beauty salons, tattoo parlours, massage parlours, playgrounds, social clubs, zoos, adventure and theme parks.
[73] Also permitted were certain gatherings arranged by a company, charity or political body where a formal risk assessment had been carried out.
From 26 September 2020 The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Protected Areas and Restriction on Businesses) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/1041) all food and drink takeaways (selling food and drink prepared on the premises for immediate consumption off the premises) had to close between 22:00 and 05:00, apart from supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacists and petrol stations.
These disapplied the standard Rule of six regulations that applied elsewhere in England and replaced them with more onerous restrictions within the areas of Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull.
On 18 September 2020 further local restrictions were introduced across a wide area of North East England by The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (North East of England) Regulations 2020 (SI 1010), and the follow-up Regulations SI 1012 which corrected some typographical errors.
These included businesses offering food and drink for consumption off the premises, restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars, social clubs, bowling alleys, cinemas, theatres, concert halls, indoor leisure facilities, funfairs, adventure parks, casinos and bingo halls.
[88] On 22 September 2020, the following regions were added to or added back to the protected area: Burnley, Chorley, Fylde, Halton, Hyndburn, Knowsley, Lancaster, Liverpool, Pendle, Preston, Ribble Valley, Rossendale, Sefton, South Ribble, St Helens, Warrington, West Lancashire, Wirral and Wyre.
[91] Amendments were made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Obligations of Undertakings) (England) Regulations 2020 (Si 2020/1008) to ensure that the obligations placed on hospitality venues were aligned with the further restrictions on gatherings where located in protected areas subject to the North East and North West of England regulations.
