MP Damien Moore is supporting an open letter by businesses in Southport asking that a Coronavirus testing centre is moved away from its planned location inside a busy shopping centre.

The facility is due to open inside Cambridge Arcade in Southport town centre on Wednesday (5 August).

Businesses inside the arcade have sent an open letter against the plans to figures including: Southport MP Damien Moore; Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock; Sefton Council Chief Executive Dwayne Johnson; and Sefton Council Leader Cllr Ian Maher.

Mr Moore said: “It is not too late for a change of mind on this issue. The Sefton Council One Stop Shop in the arcade is inappropriate for this facility. The planned opening this week should be postponed while more suitable locations are considered.

“A total of 12 local businesses have signed this letter, asking for an urgent rethink, and a number of other people have contacted me directly.

“I support the idea of a Covid testing station in Southport. But people who suspect they have Coronavirus should not be queueing up inside a busy shopping arcade or displaying symptoms while families are innocently sat next to them eating their lunch or visiting nearby shops.

“Numerous constituents have contacted me with suggestions for other locations for this facility to be sited, within the town centre area but away from where local businesses would be directly affected.

“It is exceedingly clear that this is not an appropriate location to encourage those with symptoms of Covid-19 to attend, even with the social distancing guidelines outlined.

“There are plenty of other sites in Southport that would have been easily accessible and better-suited.

“I would strongly encourage you to reconsider the suitability of this site and to relocate it.”

The open letter has been signed by Susannah Porter, who is Chair of Southport Business Improvement District and owner of the Remedy cafe on Lord Street.

She wrote: “As a fellow business owner and Chair of Southport BID I have agreed to issue this formal objection on behalf of our Levy Payers.”

Her letter says: “We the undersigned wish to make a formal complaint about the proposal from DHSC to use the One Stop Shop in Cambridge Walks as a Coronavirus Walk-In Testing Centre.

“This is a retail arcade, only recently opened after lockdown and as business owners we are all struggling to make a profit in exceedingly difficult times. We are a tourist area and have lost a considerable amount of this year’s season already, the thought of a wet, cold Winter with a Global Pandemic and no money in the bank is a serious concern for us all.“We need to make the most of the next 10 weeks and feel this decision will seriously affect income.

“To be clear we do not object to a centre being sited in the Town Centre but feel that this is not a viable site. The One Stop Shop is:

in a narrow, covered passageway,

opposite three hospitality businesses with an outdoor seating area

in close vicinity to 7 other businesses.

“The hospitality industry is having to rely on outdoor seating at this time (as recommended by our Government) as we have much reduced seating inside and must try to make up daily takings in a creative way.

“Having looked at the Council’s website, people visiting a testing centre are asked not to use public transport or taxis. This is a confusing message as we are not clear how people can get to this location? There are no car parks nearby, so the question we pose is: Who is the centre intended for and how do they get to the Arcade?

“I believe a central location with high footfall is a criterion for selection to allow for the elderly to be able to access the centre, but this just adds to our confusion – how will they get there?

“Where are people walking or cycling from to get to the Arcade? If they are travelling by car where are we asking them to park and walk from? There just does not seem to be a logical decision-making process in place?

“Can you please reply by return with answers to our questions and to furnish us with the detailed Risk Assessment we assume DHSC have done both with regards to the health and welfare of people in this high footfall, narrow, covered area – especially those sitting outside eating and drinking opposite the site and for the businesses in the vicinity with regards to the safety of their staff, goods on offer in the Arcade and daily takings.

“With the amount of interest on Social Media that this decision has generated we are requesting that confirmation of this decision and the work being carried out on the centre be postponed until other locations are considered. Southport has wide pavements, big skies, lots of outdoor space especially closer to The Promenade there are several alternative sites that would not be so close to people sitting eating and drinking.”