Interview: We speak to woman who started petition to close Bicester Village

Laura Wicks launched the petition after friends sent her pictures of the lack of social distancing occurring at the 160-shop complex when stores reopened on Monday.

So far it has received almost 6,000 signatures and can be found here: Shut Bicester Village Or Put Proper Measures In Place.

Ms Wicks was however keen to commend Bicester Village for the changes they have since put in place.

Here is our interview:

1) Were you surprised at the huge response to your petition?

"I was massively surprised by the response I received. I never in a million years would have thought so many people would want to stand with me to try and make a difference."

2) Why did you start the petition?

"I started the petition because I have a lot of friends as well as a partner who work in the village. They sent me pictures on the morning of Monday 15th June, the day it opened, along with messages of concern about being at work that day. I figured it wasn’t fair to ignore their worries as many of them didn’t want to complain or report their experiences for fear of losing their jobs. I just uploaded one of the pictures sent to me, outlined my concerns, shared it with a few friends and it exploded."

3) Are you worried that the lack of social distancing witnessed at Bicester Village on Monday could produce a second wave of coronavirus?

"We’re all still under the social distancing guidelines for a reason, otherwise they would have scrapped it altogether when they lifted full lockdown. As we can see from Beijing right now they are trying to contain a fresh outbreak, and New Zealand have new cases taken there by people from the UK. We also have to remember that the UK ‘track and trace’ technology is still being developed, so for now, I just think we should be a little more cautious."

4) Have you been personally affected by the disease?

"Though I know people who have had the virus, I have been extremely fortunate not to have lost anyone close to me. I have heard stories from friends who work in hospitals around the country that have truly shocked me. If this petition makes even one person think about adhering to the rules, it’s a win, but we need this kind of attitude on a large scale to keep each other safe. I know Bicester Village has the resources to make a difference."

5) What do you hope will come from your petition?

"I hope that this petition will spur Value Retail into implementing stricter rules to mirror the government's guidelines. Staff have already reported changes in the way Bicester Village is operating. From the scenes on Monday, Tuesday seemed to be a lot more peaceful at the Village. Only time will tell whether this was because people were avoiding it due to the reports or whether Value Retail (the owners of Bicester Village) put stricter measurements in place."

6) Is there anything else you want to add?

"I would like to just outline the changes that staff noticed in the village as I think it’s only fair to report both the bad and the good when we see it.

- Staff noticed that the presence of members from Value Retail was a lot more evident in the village on Tuesday. They offered more support to the staff managing the customers in the stores, helping people to understand and use the app, explaining how to follow the guidelines whilst shopping, and directing them to the shops they were looking for.

- They used the tannoy system set up around the Village, to remind customers to keep to the 2 metre social distancing guideline and to warn them that they were being monitored by their CCTV. Whoever was not adhering to the guidelines would potentially be approached by security.

- They were also advising and encouraging people to shop alone and where possible between the hours of 10am - 12 noon and 5pm - 8pm. These are generally their quietest periods."

The Bucks Herald has contacted Bicester Village and requested a statement.