UK road has different lockdown rules for each side of the street

Both sides of Boundary Lane in Saltney, Flintshire, have different lockdown rules
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Emily Lawford14 May 2020

A street on the border between Wales and England has different lockdown rules for each side of the road.

One side of Boundary Lane in Saltney, Flintshire, is in Wales, while the other half is part of England.

Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s recent changes to lockdown measures , some residents on the street have different rules to those of their neighbours.

Although Mr Johnson recently changed the national coronavirus message from “stay at home” to “stay alert”, Welsh Helath Minsiter Vaughan Gething told Welsh people the order to remain at home has not changed for them.

Flintshire county councillor for Saltney Stonebridge Veronica Gay, who lives on the Welsh side of the street, says the different rules have been confusing for locals.

She said: "There was confusion and I have seen questions coming to me and in Facebook, about what people can now do.

"My children live in Knutsford and they joked they were off to Blackpool - but said 'You can't come' and they were going to come to Talacre, but they can't come

"I can go to meet somebody in a park, but can't meet them in their garden. And I can only meet one of my daughters at a time, not both together.

"Meanwhile at the moment we have people living on the Welsh side of Border Lane, who are storing some rubbish in their gardens because the recycling centres aren't currently open in Flintshire - but on the other side the bin lorries are taking stuff away.

"On the Welsh side, they can only go out locally, but the other side in England can drive to the Lake District or down to Brighton."​

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Lina Astbury, who lives on the English side of Boundary Lane, said: "I went for a walk and it occurred to me that I was crossing over into the Welsh and then back over into England - normally I wouldn't think about it.

"I was thinking technically whether I should be entering Wales - but I'm sure it's fine, I usually shop on the Welsh side in Morrisons and if I was prevented from doing that - then that would be silly.

"I prefer being on the English side, because I think under these rules I have more autonomy. I do my walks and as long as I keep two metres apart and don't do anything I shouldn't - that's fine. But of course maybe not everybody will follow the rules."

"I can stay out all day now if I wish,” Ms Astbury, who used to work for Marks & Spencer bank in Chester, said. “But you can't on the other side of the road.”

Anne Anboorallee, who also lives on the English side street, said she prefers the Welsh restrictions.

The recently retired secretary for the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in mental health said she appreciates the efforts NHS staff are making each day to fight Covid-19.

"It was a bit confusing, but if you think about it I know what I can do and can't do,” she said.

"It seems ridiculous that I can do things that people 30 yards away can't.

"I actually prefer the Welsh restrictions at the moment and feel more comfortable and safer with those rules."