Organisers of Bury St Edmunds Whitsun Fayre welcome Government announcement of further lifting of coronavirus restrictions from next week

The organisers of the Bury St Edmunds Whitsun Fayre have welcomed the Government's announcement further coronavirus restrictions will be relaxed from next week.

From Monday, among other changes, hospitality businesses are allowed customers back inside their premises.

And the Business Improvement District Our Bury St Edmunds has welcomed the effect this will have on the Whitsun Fayre visitor experience.

Last year's festival was cancelled due to coronavirus and the occasion later this month will be a scaled down version to ensure it is as safe as possible.

Mark Cordell, chief executive, said: “We are delighted that the Government has given the go-ahead for hospitality businesses to re-open and allow customers to be served indoors as this will enable people to make more of their visit to the Whitsun Fayre by combining it with lunch at a favourite café, pub or restaurant.

“For the event itself we have reviewed all the Covid safety aspects and followed West Suffolk Council’s model for their very successful twice-weekly market for the Whitsun Fayre.

"It’s disappointing of course that we won’t be able to offer some of the other attractions such as the mini-farm and the urban beach that have been part of the Fayre in recent years but we hope to bring these back to the town centre in the future.

"I know that people visiting would rather be reassured about the safety of the day out above everything else, hence we have taken a phased approach to bringing our attractions back."

The two-day festival, on May 30 and 31 over the Bank Holiday, traditionally focusses on gardening, plants and flowers.

The Fayre is one of a series of free events planned by Our Bury St Edmunds this summer.

For more information, go to: www.ourburystedmunds.com

Read more: All the latest news from Bury St Edmunds