BREAKING NEWS: Stratford District to remain under Tier 3 restrictions
Tough Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions will remain in place for Stratford District and the wider Warwickshire area, following a review of the system announced today.
The original decision to place Stratford District in Tier 3 at the beginning of December has been criticised by local business leaders and councillors, and there had been hopes that Stratford would be moved down to Tier 2 when a review of the system was published.
Many have questioned the reasoning for placing Warwickshire in a tier area alongside Coventry and Solihull, a decision which many believe caused the county to be placed in Tier 3 measures.
Stratford District Council even began the process of launching a judicial review against the government’s decision, with leader Tony Jefferson warning of the devastating consequences for the hospitality industry. Cllr Jefferson has also expressed his preference for Stratford District, an area of lower infection, to be considered by itself as a tier area, rather than as part of the wider county area.
However even in Stratford District where infection rates are lower, cases in some key groups have risen recently.
The rate of infection in Stratford District over the last seven days is currently 99.2 per 100,000 people, below the wider county figure of 151.4 cases per 100,000 people.
The district council eventually halted its legal action after receiving a response from Government outlining its reasoning, but that letter has prompted a bitter row between Warwickshire County Council and Stratford District Council after it emerged county wrote to the Government, putting forward the option for Warwickshire to be grouped with Coventry and Solihull.
The county council failed to notify the district council of this, something which may have influenced the decision by district councillors to take legal action in the first place.
Izzi Seccombe, leader of Warwickshire County Council, said that request was made in an effort to try and avoid Warwickshire being grouped in with a wider West Midlands tier area.