Kirklees Together

Kirklees Council has issued a closure notice and applied for a court order to shut an Oakenshaw hairdresser after the owner has repeatedly opened during the second national lockdown.

Sinead Quinn – the owner of Quinn Blakey Hairdressing on Bradford Road, Oakenshaw – has been issued with several fines by Kirklees Council in recent weeks after being found to be open and trading on multiple occasions. Hair salons are included in the list of venues required to close under national Covid-19 lockdown restrictions which came into effect on 5 November.

Kirklees Council has been working closely with West Yorkshire Police to monitor the situation and on 27 November 2020 the business was found to be open and trading again during the second national lockdown.

The council has today (28 November 2020) issued a closure notice to the premises which means access to anyone, other than a person who lives in the building or the owner or occupier of it, is prohibited. If anyone fails to comply with this, it could result in a fine and/or a maximum of three months in prison.

In addition to this, Kirklees Council has also applied for a closure order under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which will now be heard before a Magistrates’ Court on Monday 30 November.

If approved at court, the closure order will then mean it will be a serious offence for anyone to enter the premises and could result in arrest and a maximum prison sentence of 51 weeks and/or a fine.

Councillor Paul Davies, Cabinet Member for Culture and Greener Kirklees, said: “I completely understand the frustrations of local business owners and thankfully the overwhelming majority of them have complied with the national lockdown and closed to help us overcome the virus. This pandemic has been devastating for a vast number of reasons, including the impact it has had on people’s livelihoods.

“The lockdown rules put in place by the Government are there so we can lower our infection rates, ease pressure on our health services and to ultimately save people’s lives. The actions taken by this business owner, and those who have given her custom during this period, have been illegal, selfish and reckless. The business owner has wilfully endangered herself, her customers, the wider community and our staff.

“We don’t want to fine our businesses or take action like this against them, particularly after such a difficult year. However, we have given this business every opportunity to do the right thing and public health must come first. We have been left with no choice.

“Thank you to the vast majority of people in Kirklees who are following the rules and guidance. If we all continue to play our part, we will get where we need to be.”