Switch given go-ahead to reopen

1 August 2020

Following fresh external Counsel advice, Preston City Council has just informed Switch that despite yesterday's clear Government guidance to the contrary, they are legally able to reopen Saturday 1 August.

Councillor Peter Moss, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulations:

"In order to clarify Government's guidance we received Friday 31 July regarding Switch, today we have sought expert external legal advice, and been in further dialogue with the operator of Switch.

This advice has just come back to inform us that Switch is legally able to repurpose and reopen accordingly.

This is on the strict basis that Switch proceeds with the agreed safety precautions and do not allow dancing in the venue, the venue is now free to reopen this evening.

We appreciate this is a very different position to what we announced earlier. Officers have been working tirelessly to resolve the situation in the best way.

We do ask all patrons who attend to take the safety precautions very seriously, to prevent further spread of coronavirus in Preston."

Further Information

• Environmental Health Officers from Preston City Council have been working with the operator of Switch to provide clear advice on safely reopening according to venue plans to repurpose
• Yesterday the Council received strong Government guidance that night clubs were not able to legally reopen. To verify this guidance, the City Council requested urgent external legal advice which came back late afternoon Saturday 1 August indicating that despite the Government guidance the venue is able to legally reopen.