7 ways Southport Pleasureland is preparing to reopen safely after Covid-19 lockdown

Staff at Southport Pleasureland have been putting stringent new safety measures in place at Southport Pleasureland ready for when it can reopen. 

The popular 35-acre leisure attraction park was due to open its doors for the new 2020 season back in March when the Coronavirus outbreak hit and the grand opening never happened. 

Three months on, and Southport Pleasureland’s gates remain closed as owner Norman Wallis waits for any news or guidance from the Government on when it can start operating again. 

But behind the frontage staff have been busy, getting the rides ready and in top condition, and also reviewing all aspects of what they do to ensure strict social distancing and hygiene is in place. 

The signs are encouraging, with Coronavirus cases across the UK continuing to fall and with shops in Southport around the UK getting ready to reopen on Monday (June 15). 

The hope is that cases continue to fall, so that Southport Pleasureland can reopen at a time when it is safe and ready to do so. 

There are seven main areas they are focusing on to keep staff and visitors safe. 

Owner Norman Wallis said: “The safety and wellbeing of our guests and staff is our number one priority and that is why we took the decision, ahead of the Government imposed lockdown, to delay opening the park until it was safe to do so.

“We have always maintained a high standard of hygiene and cleanliness of which we are very proud.

“In preparation for reopening the park we are introducing additional measures in line with Government advice that seek to reduce the risk associated with Covid-19.

“We are closely monitoring the situation, and in line with Government advice, we hope to be able to confirm our reopening date soon, so that we can welcome you all back into the park for you to make memories together once again.

“During the lockdown period we have been reviewing all aspects of our operation, and planning for the many changes we need to put in place to ensure the safety and well being of our guests and staff.

“It is a very different world that we are living in now, and we have all had to become used to being more cautious and following strict social distancing guidelines in our everyday lives.  “These guidelines will continue to apply for many months to come, and that includes your visits to Southport Pleasureland. In our 35-acre park one thing we are not short of, however, is space!

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“We understand that due to the unprecedented situation we have all found ourselves in, some families may be anxious about going out among a wider social gathering.  We want to assure you that the measures we are taking are designed to ensure you and your family have a safe, enjoyable and fun day out here at Southport Pleasureland.

“As we keep pace with the changing guidance from Government, it is likely that our plans will continue to evolve after we open the gates and throughout the Summer.

“For now, stay safe, look after each other and keep your eye on our website and social channels for more details on our reopening plans.”

The new measures being introduced include: 

1 – Limited number of guests in the park at any one time

To ensure the safety and well being of all guests, Southport Pleasureland will be restricting the number of people in the park at any one time. This is to enable them to help you maintain social distancing in line with Government guidelines. There is plenty of room in the park at all times, but by reducing capacity they will help to ensure that guests have a more enjoyable day out.

2 – Advance online booking

All guests will need to book online in advance of their visit. The online booking site will go live once Southport Pleasureland has confirmation of its planned reopening date.

They said: “The number of places for each day will be limited, so please bear with us if there’s no availability for your first choice day – we are doing this to help ensure your safety.  You will receive an email with your booking confirmation.  It is very important that you bring the booking confirmation with you on the day (you do not need to print the email, we can scan your booking confirmation from your phone screen).  It is also important to check our website and social channels before you set off to ensure you have the very latest information.”

Southport Pleasureland

3 – Social distancing markers and new information signs

From the minute you arrive at the park there will be visible new measures in place, especially in high-traffic areas such as queue lines for rides and food outlets.  Please follow these guidelines, read the signage and respect the guidance markers. 

Their team of trained staff are also there to help make sure everyone keeps to the distance guidelines and has a safe and fun day out. On the rides where it is required, they will seat you with your family group and ensure empty seats or rows between. They are reviewing all their processes to try to minimise close contact between staff and guests wherever possible.  In some instances this may be unavoidable, for example checking ride harnesses.  In these instances their teams will have the necessary protective equipment.

4 – Enhanced cleaning and sanitisation procedures

They already have rigorous cleaning procedures in place, but these will be further enhanced to include more frequent cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surfaces including on rides and in queuing areas.  They are installing additional hand washing stations and hand sanitiser dispensers throughout the park to help ensure guests can clean their hands regularly during their visit. Deep cleaning will take place at the end of each day to sanitise communal and high-traffic spaces.

5 – Protective clothing

You will see some of their staff wearing protective clothing, including face masks and gloves.  This is to keep both them and guests safe.  It will be up to guests whether they wish to wear protective clothing when they visit.

6 – Health and wellbeing

They say: “The health and wellbeing of our guests and staff is our number one priority. That is why we are asking all staff and guests alike who are displaying any symptoms to stay at home.  Please do not come to the park if anyone in your party is feeling unwell.  The measures we are putting in place are for the safety of everyone and we have a duty of care to both our staff and guests.  As such anyone not abiding by the guidelines we put in place will be asked to leave the park immediately.”

7 – Staff training

Ahead of each season they provide training to all their staff to ensure they keep themselves and their guests safe. The existing training programme is being enhanced to include a specific Covid-19 module. The training programme will be continuously updated and reinforced with regular sessions to ensure that all staff have the necessary knowledge enabling guests to feel confident that they will have a safe and fun visit to Southport Pleasureland.

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