East Suffolk’s Southwold campsite reopening on Friday

A council-owned caravan and camping park on the Suffolk coast is reopening on Friday - but community leaders have urged visitors to take caution to prevent the risk of spreading Covid-19.

Southwold Caravan and Camping Site was forced to close in March after the government introduced the lockdown to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

However, restrictions were relaxed on July 4 to allow for the hospitality industry - including pubs, restaurants and hotels - to finally reopen after an absence of more than three months.

Last month, campsites across Suffolk reported a surge in bookings for the rest of the summer - with most businesses having no income since the lockdown was introduced.

The park in Southwold is now making its long-awaited return, albeit with a number of alterations introduced to allow guests to visit safely.

New signs containing information and guidelines have been placed throughout the site, as have hand sanitiser stations for guest use.

Additional toilet and shower facilities have also been installed to aid with social distancing, while the existing ones have also been adapted.

Other measures include limiting the number of visitors allowed at any one time and hiring additional staff to help ensure the site is managed efficiently and regularly cleaned.

Letitia Smith, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for communities, leisure and tourism, said: “We know that many people have missed it, so it is great that we are now able to welcome campers back to Southwold.

“I want to reassure people that we have taken every step to ensure we can reopen as safely as possible, including installing new facilities and adapting existing ones in line with government guidelines. “We hope that visitors will enjoy Southwold, but also act responsibly so that both residents and other visitors are safe and have a positive experience.”