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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
National
Ben Reid

How things have changed in Nottingham since coronavirus lockdown

Lockdown in Nottingham has changed the city we know and love and people might notice more than a few changes once restrictions are eased.

From boarded up pubs, wearing face coverings on buses and trams, to less cars on the roads, the Nottingham we left on March 23 has changed.

Whether it's education, work life, the environment, transport or the future of our health care, there is a lot that has and will change in the coming weeks and months.

As some restrictions have already been eased, the Government is expected to announce more soon after Boris Johnson confirmed we had moved into phase two of the roadmap to recovery.

So here's just a few things that will or have changed while we've all been  observing the lockdown rules and staying at home to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Better road surfaces

Hucknall Road, Carrington has been resurfaced (Nottingham Post)

A number of roadworks have been completed during lockdown.

Works to resurface Hucknall Road, just of Mansfield Road are now finished. It should prove a welcome relief for drivers who have often complained about the state of the road heading towards City Hospital.

Resurfacing work has also finished on Lower Parliament Street - one of the city's busiest roads.

Face coverings on public transport

(Nottingham City Transport)

Bus operator Nottingham City Transport has provided advice for passengers on wearing face coverings following new guidance on Covid-19.

There are some circumstances when wearing a face covering may be marginally beneficial as a precautionary measure, the government has revealed in its latest advice on coronavirus.

Government guidance is for passengers, if they can, to wear a face covering, where social distancing is not always possible.

The evidence suggests that wearing a face covering does not protect you, but it may protect others if you are infected but have not yet developed symptoms.

Wearing a face covering is optional and is not required by the law.

Boarded up pubs

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Brewhouse Yard has been boarded up. (Nottingham Post)

For what is believed to be the first time in its history, Nottingham's centuries-old pub Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem was boarded up.

England's oldest inn, once a pit stop for crusader knights, is where King Richard the Lionheart and his men are likely to have gathered before journeying to Jerusalem in 1189.

Since then it's weathered the Black Death and world wars but it's taken the coronavirus pandemic for the windows and doors to be barricaded.

The security measure has been taken by the brewery Greene King.

A simple hand-written banner hangs from the pub from staff saying a huge thank you to the NHS and key workers, with the hashtags stay home and stay safe, plus a rainbow.

The Trip wasn't the only pub to be boarded up. The Bell Inn, in Angel Row, and the Water's Edge, in Castle Bridge Road, also have wooden boards at the windows.

Cleaner air

An empty BBC Island at what would usually be rush-hour. Taken March 31. (TRACEY WHITEFOOT)

Weeks of staying home led to air pollution in Nottingham dropping to its lowest level on record.

Analysis by the BBC Shared Data Unit has previously shown levels of nitrogen dioxide had fallen compared to last year ahead of the UK going into full lockdown on March 23.

More recent figures over a longer period show the trend has continued as people spend much more time at home.

Levels of nitrogen dioxide at the Nottingham No2. station (city centre north, east and south) which measures air pollution and air quality, averaged 10.4 micrograms per cubic metre between April 13 and 19.

That is the lowest weekly average recorded at the station since it was opened in January 1997.

Closed businesses and restaurants

The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in some big-name brands going under.

Here are just some of the high street names and retailers affected in Nottinghamshire so far this year.

The coronavirus pandemic has temporarily decimated the restaurant and bar industry but fingers crossed our favourites will survive and reopen once lockdown restrictions are lifted.

But one thing's certain, there are some which will not be opening their doors.

Here are some of the food businesses which said farewell forever.

Less traffic on the roads

(Nottingham Post)

Remember those gut-wrenching commutes in and out of Nottingham when the A52 was gridlocked for hours during the Clifton Bridge repairs earlier in the year?

After lockdown hit on March 23 and traffic levels dropped dramatically in the following weeks as people were told to stay at home and help save lives during the coronavirus outbreak.

What have you noticed change most about Nottingham? Let us know in the comments

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