Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Blackburn with Darwen and Bradford) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 — Relaxation of Restrictions in Nine Wards in Blackburn with Darwen — 23 Sep 2020 at 20:40

The majority of MPs voted to approve a relaxation of restrictions in nine wards in the Blackburn with Darwen area from 25 August 2020, the restrictions had been intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

This vote, held on 23 September 2020, was on the subject of a change made by a minister on 25th August 2020 which came into force on 26 August 2020. The regulations had been revoked as of the 22nd of September 2020.

The motion supported by a majority of MPs in this vote was:

• That the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Blackburn with Darwen and Bradford) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I., 2020, No. 898), dated 25 August 2020, copy of which was laid before this House on 25 August, be approved.

The regulations supported by the majority of MPs in this vote amended the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Blackburn with Darwen and Bradford) Regulations 2020, those regulations had introduced:

• Requirements to close certain premises businesses including nightclubs, dance halls, sexual entertainment venues and hostess bars, casinos, sports centres, and conference centres holding public events.
• A general ban on gatherings of more than 30 people with exceptions including for areas managed by organisations where all reasonable measures to limit the risk of transmission of the coronavirus have been taken.
• A specific ban on indoor raves.

This original regulation contained the following definition of the "protected area" it applied to:

“protected area” means the area falling within—

• (a) the area of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, or
• (b) the area of the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council;

The regulations approved in this vote substituted that definition of the protected area with:

• "protected area” means the area falling within—
• (a) in the area of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, the following wards—
• (i) Audley and Queen’s Park,
• (ii) Bastwell and Daisyfield,
• (iii) Billinge and Beardwood,
• (iv) Blackburn Central,
• (v) Little Harwood and Whitebirk,
• (vi) Roe Lee,
• (vii) Shear Brow and Corporation Park, and
• (viii) Wensley Fold, or
• (b) the area of the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council;”.

The council area comprised of seventeen wards^[1], these amendments relaxed the restrictions in eight of those wards.

The regulations making the amendment came into force on 26th August 2020.

Both the original regulations and the regulations which were the subject of this vote were revoked by regulation 6 of the The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Protected Areas and Linked Childcare Households) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 which came into force at 12.01 a.m. on 22nd September 2020, the day before this vote.

• [1] Blackburn with Darwen page on Wikipedia, Local Elections section. Wikpedia.org

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