The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 3) Regulations 2020

Directions relating to public outdoor places

7.—(1) A local authority which has given a direction under regulation 6(1) must take reasonable steps to prevent or restrict public access to the public outdoor place or places to which the direction relates in accordance with the direction.

(2) Any person, other than a local authority mentioned in paragraph (1), who owns, occupies or is responsible for land in a public outdoor place to which a direction under regulation 6(1) relates must take reasonable steps to prevent or restrict public access to that land in accordance with the direction.

(3) No person may without reasonable excuse enter or remain in a public outdoor place to which a direction under regulation 6(1) relates in contravention of a prohibition, requirement or restriction imposed by the direction.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (3), a reasonable excuse includes where—

(a) the person owns, occupies or is responsible for any land or premises in a public outdoor place to which the direction relates,

(b) the person needs to enter a public outdoor place to which the direction relates to obtain access to, or to leave, the place where they are living,

(c) the person is visiting a person who falls within a description of person in sub-paragraph (a) or (b),

(d) the person needs to enter or remain in a public outdoor place to which the direction relates—

(i) to avoid injury or illness or to escape a risk of harm,

(ii) to continue existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children where the children do not live in the same household as their parents, or one of their parents,

(iii) to fulfil a legal obligation or to participate in legal proceedings, or

(e) it is reasonably necessary for a person to enter or remain in a public outdoor place to which the direction relates—

(i) for work purposes, or for the provision of voluntary or charitable services,

(ii) to facilitate a house move,

(iii) to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person, including relevant personal care within the meaning of paragraph 7(3B) of Schedule 4 to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006(1), or

(iv) to provide emergency assistance.

(1)

2006 c.47. Paragraph 7(3B) of Schedule 4 was inserted by section 66 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c.9).