Derry and Strabane Council issues fresh COVID-19 update after Boris Johnson announcement

All staff who can work from home have been instructed to do so, while staff involved in the direct delivery of Council’s current critical list of services or providing necessary support services, have been asked to report to work.

The following revised arrangements are in place:

Council civic offices and public buildings – All Council owned buildings – including the Civic Offices in Derry and Strabane, the Tower Museum, Guildhall and Alley Theatre - remain closed to the public until further notice.

Critical services will continue to operate and the public can continue to contact Council by phone at 028 71 253253 or by email at [email protected]

You can also get regular updates and information via our website at www.derrystrabane.com/coronavirus and on Facebook and Twitter.

Committee meetings – All Council committee meetings have been temporarily suspended. The Special Planning Committee meeting scheduled for today will go ahead, however no planning applications will be heard at this meeting and there will be no public access. Thursday afternoon’s Full Council meeting (26 March) will going ahead online with no public access.

Leisure centres - All Council owned leisure centres remain closed until further notice.

Community centres – All Council owned community centres remain closed until further notice.

Play parks – All Council owned Play Parks are closed.

Public Parks – All Council public parks and open spaces currently remain open. As per Government advice these will remain open to allow the public to exercise. The Council is continuing to advise the public to adhere to the Public Health Authority guidelines in relation to social distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and to act responsibly when out and about using our public parks and open spaces. Public gatherings are not permitted within public parks.

Bin collections – Bin collection services remain operational however the public are being asked to leave their bins out for collection at an earlier time of 7am to allow crews to get around all households.

Street cleansing – Street cleansing services are continuing but with some changes to ensure the health and safety of the officers and the public.

Recycling centres – Council recycling centres continue to remain open at present with a number of restrictions in place. A strict traffic management system introduced earlier this week at the Pennyburn Industrial Estate will continue and the Council is no longer accepting any waste materials from trailers or high sided vehicles.

The safety and well-being of staff at these sites are our primary concern and anyone using these facilities must adhere to the advice of staff and to co-operate fully with them as they continue to work and provide this essential service during a challenging time for everyone. For more information visit – www.derrystrabane.com/recycling

Bulky Waste service – this service has been temporarily suspended to facilitate other essential waste service provision.

Births deaths and marriage registration –The Council’s Registration of Births Deaths and Marriages service is continuing to operate, however as a result of Government recommendations a number of changes have been made to service provision. The Strabane office remains temporarily closed and restriction measures are in place at the Derry office including a strict appointment only system. Please telephone 02871 253253or 02871 376520 or email [email protected]. To view all the details relating to the changes to services please visit – www.derrystrabane.com/district-registration.

Cemeteries – A number of operational changes have been put into place to protect the health and safety of staff, mourners and the wider public.

Planning service – Planning Service is operating with limited capacity –the public can contact the service directly at [email protected] or contact the main office at 028 71 253253. The Special Planning Committee meeting scheduled for today will go ahead, however no planning applications will be heard at this meeting and there will be no public access.

Building control service–– Building Control service is operating with very limited capacity and all site inspections have been suspended until further notice. Please contact the service directly at [email protected]

Environmental Health Services – Environmental Health is operating with limited capacity.

Please contact the service areas directly at:

Environmental ProtectionE:[email protected]

Food Safety E:[email protected]

Health and Safety: E:[email protected]

Health & Housing: E:health&[email protected]

Port Health E:[email protected]

Licensing E:[email protected]

Dog Control: E:[email protected]

Council Events – All Council organised events up until the end of July have been cancelled – they include , the City of Derry Jazz Festival, the North West Angling Fair, the Strabane Lifford Half Marathon, the Foyle Maritime Festival, the Strabane Summer Jamm, the Worker’s Rights and Social Justice Week and the Battle of the Atlantic VE Day commemorations. All events in Council owned facilities are also cancelled up until the end of May.

Business support –. Businesses seeking advice on Government business support available are urged to visit - https://www.derrystrabane.com/businessupdates

Community Services staff are working from home at present and working with the Department for Communities, local community groups and advice services to ensure that resources being made available in this emergency situation are delivered on the ground as soon as possible. Officers can be contacted at [email protected] or [email protected]

Sports Development - All Sports Development programmes/delivery have been postponed until further notice. Officers are available to assist and follow up on any queries from the public. For any general enquiries​ please contact [email protected]. All officers have access to this email and will be picked up be relevant officer.

Community Safety Wardens – Community Safety Wardens have been temporarily redeployed to assist in patrolling our public parks to help with social distancing and providing reassurance and advice to the public. They will also continue as best they can to provide vital community service in an effort to provide reassurance and protection to our communities and keep people safe at this difficult time for many. Contact details – TRIAX/Waterside (07709 457690) / Outer North/Outer West (07736 213140) and Rural Waterside (07736 213152).

City of Derry Airport – A number of changes have been made by the airlines to some flight schedules. The public are urged to visit the airport website for live flight information and regular updates. For more information visit –www.cityofderryairport.com