"The government’s announcement that high street shops and shopping centres are to re-open on 15 June is hopefully the first of some carefully planned steps to bring us all back to a sense of reality from the lockdown.
"Retailers will be pleased for the clarity from the government but this re-opening of parts of the high street is not going to be easy.
"Shops will only be given permission to open as long as they stick to strict COVID-19 secure rules like providing hand sanitiser, a 72-hour quarantine for returned goods and ensuring customers are two metres apart.
"From next Monday, 1 June outdoor markets and motor showrooms will be allowed to open.
"And then a week later from Monday 15 June “non-essential retailers” including shops selling clothes, shoes, toys, furniture, books, electronics, auction houses and indoor markets, will be allowed to open.
"But hairdressers, beauty salons, nail bars, restaurants and hotels will have to remain closed until July at least.
"All this is good news for the local economy but one of the big questions is how many of our small shops will be able to afford to open again?
"And another big question is how wary people will be about going back to these non-essential shops after so long in lockdown and just basically buying food."
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