As pupils return to school and we look towards more shops opening on 15 June, Marble Arch London BID is preparing the district for a safe return.

Our business members and partners are busy taking care of internal social distancing arrangements, while the BID has led on the external environment. In the last seven days we’ve installed over 250 queue markers for more than 70 businesses, in over 100 different locations. From banks to bakers, schools to supermarkets and gantries to gelato – expect to see reminders at pinch points and consistent queue marking across the area.

We canvassed as many businesses as possible and were delighted with the take-up, as businesses grapple with the new social distancing challenges inside their premises and the external queues that this creates. Every business in receipt of our purple queue markers benefited from an advance site survey and discussion with our team about queue direction and length. Neighbouring businesses were able to collaborate on queue direction, to prevent queue collision and entry blocking.

Westminster City Council has also published guidance on queue management to support businesses reviewing queuing arrangements for their respective premises. The document takes into account social distancing measures and covers how to plan a queuing area, how to manage a queue, security recommendations, and other considerations such as signage and opening times. Please click here to read Westminster Council’s Guidance for Queue Management with Social Distancing.

Retail and public premises which remain open must:

• Ensure a distance of two meters between customers and shop assistants.
• Let people enter the shop only in small groups, to ensure that spaces are not crowded.
• Manage queues outside of shops and other premises that are open.

The SIA have produced a useful document, Advice to Retailers Hiring Additional Staff to Manage Queues, which provides guidance as to licensing requirements.

If your businesses is yet to open and you would like to order external queue markers, please get in touch and we will add you to the next order.

Find out more about social distancing in our COVID-19 Resource Centre.