Coronavirus: Lisburn to reopen 11 public parks, with only two local authorities now keeping them closed

The moves comes as councils across Northern Ireland remain divided on whether public parks should be opened to allow the public to exercise in them during lockdown.

Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon and Newry Mourne and Down remain the only two authorities keeping public parks closed.

This morning the News Letter asked Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council to justify why its parks were still closed when England’s Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick said on Saturday that parks and cemeteries must remain open and that family can attend loved ones’ funerals.

By this afternoon Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council had relented and was planning to reopen some parks again.

Some parks will be open from 9am tomorrow, Tuesday. They will open from 9am to 9pm and will operate a one-way system that everyone should adhere to, the council said.

The parks reopening are Wallace Park, Castle Gardens, Barbour Playing Fields, Moira Demesne, Duncan’s Dam, Sir Milne Barbour Park, Bells Lane Park, Aghalee Playing Fields, Billy Neill MBE Country Park, Hydebank Playing Fields and Colby Park.

Alderman James Tinsley, Leisure & Community Development Chairman said: “While we have taken the decision to reopen some of our parks we must remind residents that it is their responsibility to keep themselves safe by adhering to the government social distancing guidance and clean up after their dogs.

“Council officers will be present to ensure there are no gatherings of family and friends at any stage in the open parks. Anyone breaching the public health guidelines will be asked to leave the park, and if required, our colleagues in the PSNI will be notified.

“So please if visiting one of our parks for your daily exercise during the coronavirus pandemic help us and yourself by staying two metres away from others; and do not remain in the park for a long period of time. The government guidance refers to one hour of exercise daily so please adhere to this for your walk, run or cycle. The parks are not a space for social gatherings and please only sit on the benches if you need a short rest during exercise.”

In a statement the council said that maintaining social distance at all times is required as this will help everyone to stay safe while exercising in an enclosed public space.

“To maintain the principle of staying local we will not be opening the adjoining car parks, as anyone wishing to use a park, as the location for their daily exercise during the lockdown must get there on foot or by bicycle. This will also help ensure only local residents use these parks,” the council said.

Residents with a blue badge can only get access to the Wallace Park adjoining car park between 12 noon and 2pm daily.

Pedestrians will be able to enter via certain gates.

All play parks; outdoor gym equipment, multi-use games areas, pitches and public toilets will remain closed.Dog Control Orders will still be enforced. No dogs should be on the football pitches and other areas as identified by the signage in each park.

Meanwhile, the DUP and Sinn Fein and the Alliance Party have had a clear disagreement after Mid and East Antrim became the first borough council in NI to reopen recycling centres during the ongoing lockdown.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said it had seen a spike in fly tipping and had reopened its recycling centre at Waveney Road in Ballymena, the Redlands facility in Larne and Sullatober at Carrickfergus. The centres will only be accepting overflow from black bins.

DUP councillor Billy Ashe said the only thing controversial about the decision was “the amount of fly-tipping which is going on, and especially since the centres have closed, the fly tipping has increased week-by-week”.

His council and party colleague, Councillor Andrew Clarke, has also started an online petition calling on Stormont to reopen cemeteries.

“Some parents were visiting their baby’s grave each day. Now they can’t,” he said, adding: “It isn’t right that you can walk around a park, but can’t kneel by a grave. It isn’t right that a trip to an off-licence is essential, but remembering our loved ones is forbidden. It isn’t right that Northern Ireland is the only UK region to suffer such a blanket ban.”

However Alliance Councillor Danny Donnelly from Larne said his party did not support the reopening of the recycling centres.

He said: “Given the recent increase in deaths in Northern Ireland from Coronavirus, in line with advice from the Chief Medical Officer and the Assembly Executive deferring discussions on any change in restrictions until Friday April 24, Alliance Party councillors on Mid and East Antrim Borough Council have withdrawn our support for opening recycling centres at this time.”

Sinn Fein Councillor James McKeown also believes it is too risky to start reopening facilities yet. “We are in the middle of a pandemic,” he said. “Last week and this are the most dangerous time. Opening everything up again now would only defeat all the good work that has been done.”

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