Earlier today I went out on Oxshott High Street, checking in on local businesses with Councillors Mark Sugden and Andy Burley.
First up, we headed into Oxshott Village Store. It was good to hear how the new owners made sure the shop became a key community asset during the early stages of lockdown. We also spoke to the staff at Surrey Hills Butchers (pictured above), where the locally sourced produce looked great – and I bought some steaks for dinner.
Next, we dropped into The Hitt House fitness studio and Clay Hair Salon, whose owner organised a community delivery service to help the vulnerable earlier in the year.
Finally, it was great to meet everyone at the Oxshott Delicatessen and Munch and Wiggles café. All of these businesses were impacted by the lockdown, but have been bouncing back since, with innovative business practices, government support and loyal customers.
Of course, there were lots of questions today about Elmbridge moving into the “high” COVID alert level from tomorrow. As I said earlier, I understand that this will be disappointing for residents, but the additional restrictions are necessary to help curb the spread of the virus.
It’s important to remember that all of our local shops will still be open over the coming weeks. So, if you are able to support them while sticking to the new rules, I would encourage you to do so.
