Travelling from one tier 3 area to another?

[HighSpecWhistle]

Have to return some bits from IKEA and buy a toddler mattress for when my child moves into their new bed within the next month.

Do the rules allow travelling from one tier 3 place to another tier 3 place for shopping? Different counties, we live on the border of one, and IKEA is just over the border.

It's not essential travel which is what's throwing me. Don't want a fine. Thanks!

YABU - not allowed
YANBU - it's within rules as both tier 3 areas.

It's guidance nit rule, so you can go.

@bookworming

What's putting me off is I know someone who got fined £200 travelling between the areas. BUT the other area was tier 2 then but now it's tier 3 (as of Wed).

I know someone who got fined £200 travelling between the areas
On what grounds? It's is not illegal to travel within England regardless of any tiers.

The guidance says you should stay in your own are, unless you need to travel for work, education or another essential reason, and you should behave as if you’re in your own tier - which won’t be a problem as they’re both tier 3.

So it’d depend if you class it as an essential trip, if you do, it’s allowable.

Legally you can go, the travel guidance is guidance, not law.

Is this like from Kent to Thurrock IKEA?

It is guidance. However, given you can arrange home delivery, I wouldn't say it's essential to make the journey, especially given the spiralling increases.

There isn't any official rule about what counts as an area either as far as I know.

The village I live in?

My postcode, which also includes a nearby small town?

My council area, which roughly, but not exactly, aligns with my postal city, which caused lots of fun and games when people on the borders were subject to different restrictions to their neighbours.

My county, which is one of the largest in England, which gives me lots of freedom and is listed together as an area for tier purposes?

My local Ikea is also in another council area but is in walking distance from my house and at some time this year was under different covid restrictions, but remained open, because at the time they wanted to stop families getting together at home to celebrate Eid.

But there is no law to prevent what you want to do OP, so no basis for a fine and of course, the virus doesn't stop at any of the borders described above and you could be like me and be in one of the tier 3 areas where the cases are well below the national average.