27/11/2020 - Permalink

Coronavirus: Culture and leisure services set to reopen under Government guidelines

Related topics: Community / Coronavirus / Leisure, culture and heritage

Services across culture and leisure are to begin to reopen from Wednesday 2 December 2020 in line with new Government guidelines.

Leisure centres, libraries, Shropshire Archives, selected museums including Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, Shrewsbury Castle, Theatre Severn and the Old Market Hall are among the facilities expected to reopen. Meole Brace golf course will also reopen.

COVID-19 safety measures that were installed earlier in the year will remain in place to ensure social distancing and hand hygiene standards can be maintained and the safety of visitors, staff and local communities protected.

Lezley Picton, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for culture, leisure, waste and communications, said:

“Our sites, facilities and services have been well visited and used since reopening from July, and have been important helping us stay active and healthy.

“We’re pleased that we’re able to begin reopening our facilities again for people to visit from 2 December.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has been following the lockdown rules so diligently, and for showing patience and togetherness as we begin to move slowly back to something like normality.”

As they did during the first national lockdown, our countryside parks and sites have remained open while so many other places were forced to close.

More information about the reopening of services on 2 December will be announced in due course.

Step Up and help us stop the spread of coronavirus:

From 00.01am on Wednesday 2 December 2020, the new local alert level 2 restrictions for Shropshire will mean:

  • People must not socialise indoors with anyone who is not part of their household or support bubble, whether at home or in a public space.
  • People can meet family and friends not in their household or support bubble in outdoor settings. When they do so, they must not meet in a group of more than six people.
  • You should aim to reduce the number of journeys you make where possible.
  • Pubs and bars must close unless operating as restaurants and can only serve alcohol with a substantial meal.
  • Hospitality businesses and venues selling food and drink for consumption off the premises can continue to do so after 10pm as long as this is through delivery service, click-and-collect or drive-through.
  • Shops, personal care, gyms and the wider leisure sector will reopen.
  • Schools, colleges, universities and places of worship will remain open.
  • Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of attendees.
  • Public attendance at outdoor and indoor events (performances and shows) and spectator sport and business events, is permitted, limited to whichever is lower: 50% capacity, or either 2,000 people outdoors or 1,000 people indoors.
  • Organised grassroots sport will be able to resume.

For local advice and support during the pandemic (especially if you are self-isolating), call Shropshire Council’s COVID-19 Helpline on 0345 678 9028 (lines open on the weekend on Saturday from 9am-4pm and Sunday 9am-12pm) or visit our website at www.shropshire.gov.uk/coronavirus.