Kirklees: Officials urge government not to place region in Tier three

A cross-party board made up of MPs and councillors in Kirklees has issued a statement calling on the government not to place the region under Tier three Covid-19 restrictions.

In a strong statement, the Outbreak Control Board listed several reasons why Tier three will have a detrimental impact on people living in Kirklees.

Instead, they are calling on the government to support work being done at the local level to bring the infection rate down.

The statement said that:

• The Board "does not believe Tier 3 restrictions are the best way" to improve the Covid-19 situation and save lives.

• The closure of pubs and bars in Kirklees will have "a devastating impact on our economy and people’s livelihoods," adding that they Board has "not seen the evidence that this will directly impact on infection rates."

• The Board said work being done at local level has yielded positive results with "Kirklees now having the lowest rates in West Yorkshire." They urged the government to provide more resources to build on this.

• Concerns regarding the mental health of people in Kirklees have also being raised. The statement says: "We’re concerned about the mental health of people in Kirklees, many of whom have been under local restrictions since July. Preventing people from visiting each other’s gardens will be a big blow during what is already a very difficult time."

“For these reasons, Kirklees’ Outbreak Control Board has unanimously agreed to urge the Government not to place Kirklees in Tier 3 and to instead let us build on the work we’re doing to prevent the spread of the virus locally.”

The statement came after a day of meetings between council leaders, MPs from across West Yorkshire and government ministers about the tackling the infection rate in the county.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority said talks would resume on Wednesday.