MANAGERS at Templars Square Shopping Centre said they were pleased to see customers return as non-essential shops were given the go-ahead to reopen.

They said the coronavirus lockdown had been a challenging time, with staff working hard behind the scenes to prepare for the Cowley centre to reopen yesterday, when queues formed outside some stores.

Plans for a £60m revamp had been announced by owners NewRiver but no date given for when work would start.

Oxford Mail:

Centre manager Paul Jackson said: “ The health and wellbeing of our staff, shoppers and retailers is our priority, and in line with government guidance we have implemented a series of health and safety measures throughout the centre that we will continue to review.

READ MORE: Templars Square: no date for £60m revamp

“These include additional hand sanitisers, queue management systems, distribution of PPE to centre staff and installation of additional signage.

Oxford Mail:

“We are working closely with our retailers to manage the challenges of social distancing as they begin their reopening, including those opening with reduced opening hours. While the shopping experience for our customers will be different, we would like to thank all of our shoppers, occupiers and centre management staff.

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Oxford Mail:

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“We ask our shoppers to please continue to monitor our social media channels for further updates.”