Cheddar Chamber of Commerce has said it is "cautiously hopeful" that the coronavirus restrictions that will come into place once the national lockdown ends, will continue to control Covid-19 and the area will be able to move into Tier 1 later this month.

The chamber has welcomed the news that Sedgemoor will be in Tier 2 rather than Tier 3 when the new coronavirus restrictions come into place from tomorrow (December 2).

In a joint statement to Cheddar Nub News, the chamber's chair Julian Sayer, secretary Beccy Lloyd and treasurer Simon Childs said they hoped the tier will move to level 1 Medium Alert on December 16, when it will be reviewed by the government.

They said: "It's clearly great that many Cheddar businesses, shops, pubs, restaurants, cafés, hairdressers and beauty salons, are once again able to open tomorrow as the second lockdown ends, and we can all be thankful that the government have not seen it necessary to place Sedgemoor in Tier 3, along with some of our neighbouring communities.

"Tier 3 would have meant that so many businesses' hopes and expectations of being able trade in the weeks running up to Christmas would have been all but dashed.

"Of course, being placed in Tier 2, rather than Tier 1 as we were prior to the latest lockdown, is indicative of the infection rate growing significantly in our area as we moved through autumn into winter, however it seems that lockdown has had the desired impact and that infection rates are once again falling.

"Therefore we're cautiously hopeful that the Tier 2 restrictions will continue to control the virus and that we can move back into Tier 1 when the government reviews the tiers on December 16, which would allow just a little more freedom for people to enjoy themselves in the run up to Christmas."