News article

Lockdown 3 – changes to services and public facilities

Further to the government’s confirmation of a national lockdown and new COVID-19 restrictions, Warwick District Council has closed a number of public facilities.

Sports and parks

Leisure centres remain closed until further notice.

The Government has made it clear that it intends all organised outdoor sport to cease during the lockdown.  Football, tennis, athletics and outdoor fitness classes are prohibited. The amenities closed with immediate effect include:

  • Football pitches and pavilions managed by the Council
  • Tennis courts managed by the Council – Abbey Fields, St Nicholas Park, Victoria Park and Christchurch Gardens
  • Edmondscote Athletics Track and its gym and pavilion
  • Outdoor gym equipment
  • Skate parks

Whilst the district’s parks, public toilets and children’s playgrounds remain open, the Council has suspended all exercise permits for group activities. The cafes at St Nicholas and Victoria Park are permitted to operate for takeaways only.

Arts

In terms of our Arts service the latest position is as follows:

The Library in the Royal Pump Rooms is open for Click and Collect, manned by WCC staff. There is a limited WDC staff presence manning the Box Office phone line.

The Art Gallery & Museum will stay closed.  Officers are checking with the café to see if they intend to remain open for a take away service.

The Town Hall is open for the temporary Post Office in Room 11, and tenants of the Town Hall may need intermittent access for paperwork etc. We expect it unlikely that the University will reopen the Learning Grid in the Town Hall this month.

The Spa Centre remains closed; the technical team had been on site scaling up maintenance in advance of a planned Spring reopening, but this may now need to be paused until there is further clarity on the duration of the lockdown and its impact on the Spring Programme.

Waste and recycling

Waste and recycling services will continue as normal, with a public health reminder that personal waste (such as used tissues, face coverings and disposable cleaning cloths) should be separated from other items and bagged securely before being placed in your external refuse bin. These items must not be put into your recycling containers. Recycling crews will continue to be supported by additional waste collection vehicles where necessary, this means recycling is tipped into the back of this vehicle – these collections are sorted and recycled separately. The district’s recycling centres will remain open for booked appointments.

Housing

During this time the Council’s Housing Team and partners in the voluntary sector will be renewing their efforts to ensure that anyone found sleeping rough is found a place to stay. They will also continue to provide support to those in temporary accommodation.

Further information and updates on all Council Services and details of the support available to businesses can be found on the Warwick District Council Website.