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14
Sept 2020
No covid marshals patrolling Harrogate's streets
Harrogate Borough Council, like many other councils, is awaiting details from the government about the role of marshals and how they will be funded.
Harrogate Borough Council offices at Knapping Mount.
Harrogate Borough Council has yet to recruit any covid marshals, the authority revealed today.
The government's new 'rule of six' came into force today, forbidding social gatherings of more than six people except in certain circumstances.
Ministers have called for local councils to recruit teams of marshals to monitor compliance.
But many local authorities, including HBC, have yet to do so, saying they need more details about the role and funding.
A council spokesman said:
"The government hasn’t published any guidance to local authorities about the role of the marshals, the powers they will have nor how contact tracing at hospitality businesses will be enforced.
"Until we’ve had the detail, we can’t plan for how marshals may be used in the district."
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Nesil Caliskan, chair of the Local Government Association’s safer and stronger communities board, said the government's announcement had caused confusion among local authorities and called for "urgent clarity" from ministers.
Ms Caliskan added:
“It is right that councils will be able to choose whether marshals are the best way to manage covid risks in their local areas.
"However, without additional funding to support this proposal, many councils are likely to have to prioritise other activity.
"Even if marshals were rolled out in great numbers, they will not have enforcement powers so it is important that residents do not expect councils to be able to act when they cannot."
Police warning
Chief Inspector Charlotte Bloxham, silver lead for the North Yorkshire Police covid response, urged people to take personal responsibility for following government guidance. She added that breaches of the regulations should be reported using the online form on North Yorkshire Police's website.
Ms Bloxham warned, however, that demand for police services was now back at pre-covid levels. She said:
“We will continue to follow our usual approach of engaging, explaining and encouraging people to act responsibly and only resorting to enforcement when absolutely necessary. "
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