Members, please note that the Clubhouse will not reopen immediately on 4th July.
LTA advice (24/6/2020) is that following the Prime Minister’s statement today (23 June), there will be no immediate changes to the guidelines for tennis and tennis venues.
Should we wish to reopen the Clubhouse, there are many ‘Covid-19 secure’ guidelines for working safely in, and visiting, pubs and bars, which HLTC would be obliged to action in order to comply with Government rules to protect everyone’s health and safety. Mitigating actions to allow the bar to open would include: increasing the frequency of hand-washing, reducing time spent in face-to-face contact, using screens or barriers, limiting indoor gatherings to two households, outdoor gatherings to six people, managing queues, managing entry to the clubhouse, managing access to toilets, organising seating at appropriate distances, reducing the number of surfaces touched by staff and customers etc. Government guidelines state that: ‘Where the social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full, in relation to a particular activity, businesses should consider whether that activity needs to continue for the business to operate.’ (Gov.uk; Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, 24/6/2020)
The committee agree that it is not possible for HLTC to put sufficient measures in place at this time, and have therefore decided that the Clubhouse will remain closed. The decision will be reviewed in line with LTA guidance and further Government easing of restrictions.
Thank you for your co-operation and understanding.