The Government has failed to supply any new evidence to justify the delayed reopening of indoor hospitality, Sacha Lord has announced.
The update follows a legal letter issued by Lord and Hugh Osmond (12 March) which demanded ‘“evidence or justification for the prioritisation of non-essential retail over hospitality’ by Wednesday 17 March. The case will now move to the High Court for Judicial Review.
Sacha Lord comments,
“The Government has failed to introduce any new evidence as to why indoor hospitality cannot open on 12 April alongside non-essential retail and we will now be taking this case to the High Court for an expedited Judicial Review
While we’re pleased beer gardens will be reopening from 12 April, many venues don’t have the space or financial capabilities to have an outdoor area, and as we know very well in Manchester, the weather is not always kind.
Operators have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds creating indoor Covid secure environments, as advised by Ministers themselves, and we firmly believe these regulated, ventilated venues have much safer measures and greater social distancing in place than retail stores.
This is not a hospitality versus retail argument, but Government decisions must operate on a level playing field and be supported by evidence. We currently see no clear justification for the delay.”
A Parliamentary Select Committee agreed this week that the Government has not provided sufficient data to underpin their decisions on hospitality.
Research has predicted the decision to delay the reopening of indoor hospitality will cost the sector £7 billion over the five weeks.
The legal action is led by Oliver Wright, Partner and Lizzie McPeake, Solicitor at JMW Solicitors and David Lock QC and Galina Ward of Landmark Chambers on behalf of Sacha Lord, Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester, Co-Founder of Parklife Festival, Co-Founder of The Warehouse Project, and Hugh Osmond, Founder of Punch Taverns, former Director of Pizza Express, and director of Various Eateries plc.
