On 26 November it was announced that Derbyshire Dales would be moving into Tier 3 after the end of the second national lockdown on 2 December at 12.01am.
Sarah Dines said, ‘As you may be aware I have been concerned the impact a higher tier would have on our economy in Derbyshire Dales and I have been raising these concerns at the highest possible level consistently. So, like many constituents, I am truly disappointed to hear the news that Derbyshire Dales will be in Tier 3 when this second lockdown ends. Despite this disappointment, I am not entirely surprised. Our close proximity in Derbyshire Dales to larger conurbations, where the infection rate is in many cases higher, is just one of the reasons we now find ourselves in this position. There have been improvements in the infection rate across Derbyshire and Derby, but case rates do remain very high and as a result of this, pressure on our local NHS services remains very high.
I’ve been in constant discussions over the past weeks with Derbyshire MPs, Derbyshire Dales District council and Derbyshire County Council lobbying hard for our local businesses. I’ve been lobbying hard for Derbyshire Dales to be in a lower tier at the highest Governmental level including calls made to the Ministerial teams last night and a one to one discussion this morning. These are huge decisions both locally and nationally.
Hard decisions have to be made for the greater good, even if we would ideally like to see a different outcome. We must be patient and remain strong in our resolve to beat this pandemic.
I am pleased that I have been assured by the Ministerial team that these tiers will be reviewed in 14 days.’
