Saltney Goes Into Local Lockdown

As of 6pm today, 1st October, Saltney goes into local lockdown. Some may say that is not such a big announcement as so many other places are in the same position throughout the country. Why Saltney is a bit different though is because of its location. Local residents will know that part of Saltney is in Flintshire and part of Saltney is in Chester. And, as of today, Flintshire are entering into the local lockdown at 6pm as mentioned above.

Saltney Goes Into Local Lockdown

So how does that affect people living in this border town? Particularly those that live in and around Boundary Lane. As the name suggests, Boundary Lane is the divide between Chester and North Wales. Turn right out of Boundary Lane and you are in England. Turn left and you are in North Wales. Saltney residents on the North Wales, Flintshire side, have now been told that they are not able to leave the county without a ‘reasonable excuse.’

This is where it may get a bit confusing. “A bit” is maybe an understatement. Because of its location there is considerable interaction and overlap between the countries. Understandably so.

The official announcement of “people will not be allowed to enter or leave the Flintshire County Council area without a reasonable excuse.” The bolded bit is key of course. Step forward anyone who knows the full, proper definition and/or limitations on that phrase?

One action that fits a “reasonable excuse” is work. Unless of course you can work from home. Which you should try and do anyway is the advice. But there will be so many grey areas and much will be left to people’s own discretion and common sense.

Saltney Goes Into Local Lockdown – What Is A Reasonable Excuse?

You can travel into and out of Flintshire to shop for ‘essential items’ as it happens. And if there isn’t an alternative on your side of the border or you can’t have them delivered.

In many cases that will be straightforward enough. But in other cases, not so. A case in point. You live on the Flintshire side of the border and you bank at Lloyds in Foregate Street. You receive a cheque in the post for an amount that justifies immediate deposit. What should you do? Decisions, decisions!!!

Do you look for the nearest alternative branch of Lloyds in Flintshire? Wherever that is. But what if you haven’t got a car? And, what if the alternative Flintshire location has a higher infection rate than Chester? As I say, decisions, decisions. This is where your own decision making may well kick in as it’s not readily identifiable as a good ‘reasonable excuse’ is it? Or maybe it is? Some may say it is, some may say it’s not.

If you did decide yourself it was worth a trip into Chester to bank the necessary cheque, hands up how many would immediately return home after doing the banking? Or, how many would think, ‘while I’m in town?’

Saltney Goes Into Lockdown – The Effect On Businesses

This example is not specifically Saltney related as such. More Flintshire generally. But it involves travelling across the border and possibly through Saltney.

My pal John Williams of Williams Auto Body in Bretton has a right mixed bag of customers. Many of them are from ‘over the border’ and many of them are regulars. Just suppose, say from next week, all of his car repair enquiries come from regular customers over the border in England.

The repairs may not be identified as ‘essential’ in Covid speak but are for the benefit of the vehicle. The regular customer needs the work doing but in following the cross border regulations cannot travel into Flintshire. Furthermore he checks around and he can take his car to a car body repair business in Chester.

The same may apply for all of John’s customers for that week. There won’t be any business coming in from the Flintshire side as everyone is self isolating and working from home. So, they won’t be using their cars.

And so it continues. Just as we come out of full lockdown and John’s business is picking up again…..Wham!!! Back to square one.

I hope John and his 20 plus moggies he looks after on his work premises are all OK.

Decisions Decisions

As mentioned in the “going to the bank” example above, some people may well make a decision themselves of their own definition of ‘reasonable excuse.’ Will they be right or not?

Some of John’s regulars may well go to John, as an alternative can’t fit them in and they need their car for work. Again, will they be right or not?

I imagine that people will, in the main, follow the guidelines and stay in Flintshire as instructed. But you can see how in some instances, there is uncertainty. And this uncertainty may well then develop into a variety of ‘reasonable excuse’ interpretations.

I also think that will be inevitable. A lockdown is meant to help solve a problem and not create a whole new batch of others. Let’s hope it doesn’t and let’s hope this latest lockdown isn’t in place for too long.

You have to think that the Government know what they are doing. If not, how else are we going to get through all of this? We have to put our trust in the powers that be. But then, in a different moment, you do think about the period between December 2019 and March 2020 and what should have been done against what was done. That topic is not for this blog post. I think I’ll keep that little poser for our Sunday afternoon debate in The Cottage. If it’s open that is.

So, there we have it. Saltney goes into local lockdown this evening. Hopefully everyone gets through it OK and things are back to normal soon.

I have a good pal that lives just off Boundary Lane. I’ll ask him how he’s getting on in the next couple of weeks. I’ll also ask him how business is and see if he is getting busier. The last time I asked him he said business was very quiet and there was no Covid related increase over the last few months. He works for an undertakers by the way.

Chester Lifestyle Blog Posts

Thanks for reading my latest, “Saltney Goes Into Local Lockdown” post. And thanks for visiting my Chester Lifestyle website. It is much appreciated. To see all of my other blog posts on a variety of topics, click this link HERE.

Please Note

I earn commissions from Amazon for any qualifying purchases made from my Chester Lifestyle website.

By clicking the image below, or the product links below that, you will be taken through to Amazon where you can search and shop safely and securely to your heart’s content. Many thanks.

Shop Safely And Securely From Amazon

In this current climate and the need to look after ourselves a bit more, carefully check out these special feature products…….

Other Products That You May Like…..