ROMSEY is one of three town centres across Test Valley that could receive a cash boost worth thousands of pounds as part of a £50 million Government fund to help businesses reopen safely amid coronavirus.

Romsey town centre manager, Mark Edgerley, revealed up to £112,000 could be dished out to the market town along with Stockbridge and Andover as part of the Government's Reopening High Streets Safely Fund.

This comes after Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced this week all non-essential retailers in England will be able to reopen from June 15.

Mr Edgerley said: "The money is for extra work that might need to be done to give people the confidence to come back to town centres.

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Hampshire Chronicle: Romsey town centre manager, Mark Edgerley Romsey town centre manager, Mark Edgerley

"In Romsey we might need to put a few reminder signs up that are about people keeping socially distanced, but I am not sure about what some towns and cities are doing where they have put up massive barriers, which tries to force people up certain routes.

"I have talked to a couple of shop managers in Romsey and people know what the rules are, it is just when people are walking around they need to be reminded because it is not natural to step into the road or turn your back on someone in the street."

He added: "Whatever way you look it, unless we have people coming into town everything else you do is valueless."

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Deputy leader of Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC), cllr Nick Adams-King, said: "It is excellent news and we will use the money in the most effective way we can and we are still waiting on Government guidance to see how it can be spent.

"We anticipate it could go towards arranging signage and managing traffic if we are able to close The Hundred."