Information and Advice Covid-19 (Coronavirus)

Following the Northern Ireland Executive’s relaxation of some aspects of leisure services, a number of outdoor leisure facilities have reopened with service restrictions in place (see below).

For a list of council facilities open/closed click here.

Reopening of Golf Courses

Golf courses will reopen to Club Members and subscribers from Saturday 23^rd May 2020, with public pay and play access from Wednesday 27^th May 2020. Everyone must book online in advance.

In line with Public Health Agency (PHA) guidelines reduced services and strict player guidance will apply as follows:

• Bookings can only be made on-line, with tee times booked in advance
• Daily timeslots are restricted to 12 minutes for two-ball use
• Do not arrive at course more than 15 minutes in advance of your time.
• Social distancing rules must be observed by everyone at all times in the car park, reception and on the course
• Staff will be on hand to monitor adherence with physical distancing rules
• Golfers must not touch the flag or flagstick
• Rakes will be removed from the course
• Hire trolleys (electric and pull trolleys) must be sanitised prior to each use
• Club competitions or opens are not permitted.

For answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) log on to:
https://getactiveabc.com/activities/golf-after-covid-19/

For further information, please contact your local Golf Club directly by telephone or email.

Reopening of Angling Facilities.

Angling facilities will reopen at Loughgall from Saturday 23^rd May 2020.

The following user guidance applies:

In line with Public Health Agency (PHA) guidelines reduced service will apply as follows:

• Angling must be undertaken in accordance with Government social distancing guidelines, which are subject to change, users must be compliant at all times
• Anglers must follow current Government guidance on travel for the benefit of recreational activity
• No sharing of fishing positions (swims) except by members of the same household.
• No sharing of fishing tackle or any other items
• No angler to fish within 2 metres of any other angler
• No keepnets or competition fishing will be permitted
• Onsite toilet facilities will remain closed.

For further information, please contact Loughgall Reception 028 3889 2900.

Reopening of Tennis Facilities

Tennis facilities will reopen to Clubs Only from Wednesday 27^th May 2020. 

In line with Public Health Agency (PHA) guidelines reduced services and strict player guidance will apply as follows:

• No pay & play facilities are operational
• Max 2 people per court (unless players are from the same household)
• Players must only handle their own racket and personal (marked) balls
• Avoid changing ends or change at opposite side of the net
• A buffer period between bookings will apply (approx. 10 mins)
• Social distancing must be maintained at all times in car parks, court area etc.
• At this time no competitions are permitted
• Club buildings and toilets to remain closed.

For further information, please contact your local Tennis Club directly by telephone or email, from the 27^th May.

Reopening of Outdoor Bowling Facilities

Outdoor bowling facilities will reopen to Clubs Only from Wednesday 27^th May 2020.

In line with Public Health Agency (PHA) guidelines reduced services and strict player guidance will apply as follows:

• No pay & play will be in operation
• Players must provide and use their own individual equipment
• Limited green opening and social distancing of 2 metres must be adhered to at all times
• Users should only partake alone, with members of their household, or with one other person from outside your household, while practicing social distancing
• Only Club members are allowed on a Green
• Access to club buildings and toilets is not permitted
• Staff availability may affect the opening of some sites.

For further information, please contact your local Bowling Club directly by telephone or email, from the 27^th May.

Reopening of Car Parks

Car Parks will reopen at council Parks and Open Spaces from Wednesday 27^rd May 2020.

Please note:
In line with Public Health Agency (PHA) guidelines reduced services will apply as follows:

• Access to public toilets is not permitted
• Access to outdoor gyms is not permitted
• Access to play parks is not permitted
• Access to skateboard parks is not permitted
• Access to caravan areas is not permitted
• Access to park benches is not permitted
• Access to mobile catering is not available
• Access to multi use games areas is not permitted

Due to the reduced service levels currently operational charging for entry into Gosford Park and Loughgall is suspended until further notice.

For answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) log on to:
https://getactiveabc.com/covid-19/

For further information, please contact or Tel: 0300 0300 900

Household Recycling Centres

Household Recycling Centres in Keady and Dromore will reopen on Friday 29th May, from 10.00am – 6.00pm with restrictions in place.

• Sites are operational three days per week, Thursday – Saturday
• Opening hours are Thursday and Friday 10.00am- 6.00pm, Saturday 8.00am – 12.00noon
• Materials accepted will be household residual general waste, garden organic waste and cardboard
• Cars and cars towing trailers are allowed access
• No vans are permitted entry
• No commercial waste will be accepted

What centres are open & opening hours?

• Armagh, Station Road
• Banbridge, Scarva Road
• New Line, Lurgan
• Fairgreen, Portadown
• Keady, Annvale Industrial Estate
• Dromore, Mossvale Road

Opening Hours for centres in Armagh, Banbridge, Lurgan and Portadown:

• Monday-Friday: 10am-6pm
• Saturday: 8am-12noon

Opening Hours for centres in Keady and Dromore:

• Thursday & Friday: 10am-6pm
• Saturday: 8am-12noon

Last entry is 15 minutes before the site closes.

Who can access the centres?

• Only householders of the borough will be permitted access – photographic ID may be required
• Commercial users are not permitted. Traders are asked to email: to arrange a collection.

What are the temporary restrictions for Recycling Centres? 

To protect users and staff at this time the following temporary restrictions apply at all open sites:

• Materials you can bring to the centre include, household general waste (bagged or unbagged), garden organic waste and cardboard.
• Cars and cars towing trailers are permitted.
• No vans or commercial waste will be accepted at this time.
• Organic/Green waste includes: grass, bushes, hedge cuttings etc.

Not permitted:

• Rubble, soil and stones will not be permitted
• Vans (small or large), or commercial waste will not be permitted

Please Note:

• Users are responsible for putting all items into the appropriate skips
• In accordance with Public Health Agency (PHA) guidelines, no tools are available at the centres; no brushes, shovels, forks etc.
• Delays are anticipated on entry to the sites.
• Residents are asked to continue to use their kerbside collections of recyclables, organics and landfill waste.
• Council staff will be on hand to offer guidance only, and it is imperative that the public cooperate with staff at all times during these challenging times. Abusive behaviour will not be tolerated.

Important Public Health Guidance
Please note: Any suspected Covid19 tissues/waste should be double bagged and separated from other wastes for 72 hours before bringing this waste to the recycling centres, in line with Public Health Authority (PHA) guidelines.

Users are asked to respect the temporary measures in place and the guidance from staff on-site, at this time. We thank-you for your cooperation.

The council plans to extend the materials that can be deposited at the recycling centres and the number of sites available as and when practicable to do so. Please refer to council’s website, social media platforms, email or telephone for the most up to date information.

Web: www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon/coronavirus
Email:
Tel: 0300 0300 900

Bulky Waste

The Bulky Waste Collection Service will be running as normal from Monday 18th May, to book a collection please call 0300 0300 900.

Bin Collections

All bin collections are continuing to operate, however you may experience disruption.  To help ensure your bin is emptied, please leave your bin out the night before and follow the waste collection hygiene guidelines.

Waste Collection Hygiene

Please respect the safety of refuse collection staff and your own personal safety by taking the following steps:

• Wash your hands before and after handling your bins/boxes.
• Put cloths, wipes and gloves used for cleaning in the general waste bin.
• Do not put tissues in your recycling bins or boxes, there are people sorting your waste, please respect their health and safety.
• Always disinfect the handles of your bins/boxes before and after collection.

If you are self-isolating:

• Place personal waste, used tissues, and disposable cleaning cloths or gloves in disposable rubbish bags.
• Put that bag into a second bag, tie them securely and kept separate from other waste for 72 hours before putting into your usual external general household waste bin.
• Also make sure to keep this waste away from children and pets.

Always remember to keep at least two metres (six feet) away from your waste collectors.

Bryson Recycling (Armagh area)

Temporary Collection Measures
From Monday 6 April temporary collection measures will commence until further notice. Householders are asked to separate their waste into boxes, regardless of the box colour.

• Option 1: Paper and cardboard only
• Option 2: Plastic, food & drinks cans, foil, cartons and aerosols
• Option 3: Glass bottle and jars.

If residents do not have a third box they are asked to hold this waste until their next weekly collection.  Guidance on hygiene and contaminated waste will also be included on the leaflet delivered to householders.

Food waste collections will continue as normal.

Unfortunately, batteries, textiles, hand tools or overflow bags will not be collected until further notice.

For Temporary Collection Measures, please click here
For FAQ’S from Bryson Recycling, please click here

We would advise that in relation to Councils Planning and Building Control Services, both these services have been suspended and are now operating at a reduced service level as a precautionary measure in response to COVID -19. Our offices are now closed to staff and customers until further notice.

Further detail on what this means for each service is noted below:-

Planning Service

• Planning continues to operate a reduced level of service at this time;
• Planning offices remain closed to public with most staff working from home
• New applications are however being validated and decisions on planning applications are being issued;
• Decisions on existing enforcement cases are also made and new Enforcement cases are continuing to be opened.
• A date for the next meeting of the Planning & Regulatory Services committee remains under review.

Until further notice all post should be directed to the Civic Building at Downshire Road, Banbridge BT32 3JY

Any planning queries should be directed to or 0300 200 7830

Building Control
Following the latest review of restrictions by Council the Building Control Department will operate as follows.

Building Regulation Applications
Applications submitted to our Department have and will continue to be validated and processed. We are also available to provide technical advice via phone calls and emails on Building Regulation matters. As Council buildings are not presently open to the public we would request that new applications/amended drawings are posted to either of the addresses below and clearly marked for the attention of Building Control.

Civic Building, Downshire Road, Banbridge, BT32 3JY or
Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre, Lakeview Road, Craigavon, BT64 1AL.

Please note that application forms can be downloaded from our website, link below, and online applications for Building Notices and Regularisation can be made via the same link.

www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/resident/building-control-applications-residents/

Should an applicant or agent have a query regarding the status of a current application they should email the relevant offices at the following:-

Site Inspection
We have resumed a limited number of site inspections, which are primarily external, and where deemed safe to do so in accordance with current Government guidance.  These include:

• Foundations
• Hardcore/substructure
• Dpm/radon barriers
• Drainage
• Roof, where this can be inspected externally from ground level
• Boiler installations, where these are located externally
• Cavity wall insulation
• Completions on new dwellings, that have not been occupied

To enable us to carry out these inspections we require a minimum 24 hours’ notice.  Same day inspection requests will not be carried out.  All responses to requests for site inspections will be based on the applicant’s ability to ensure that the site will be safe to enter in accordance with current Government guidance.

Where it is considered unsafe for site inspections to be carried out at this time, please contact our offices to discuss possible alternative arrangements such as remote inspections via real time video calls.

Anyone considering carrying out any building works is reminded that it is a statutory duty to notify Council Building Control Department prior to undertaking such works.

If in any doubt, please contact our office on the “contact us” details below

Dangerous Structures
The Department will respond as normal to reports of Dangerous Structures, where the safety of public is a concern.

Property Certificates
The Department have been and will continue to be processing and responding to Council Property Certificate matters. Applications for Property Certificates should be posted to Civic Building, Downshire Road, Banbridge, BT32 3JY

Contact us
If you urgently need to speak to an officer in relation to any of the above, please note the following contact details:

• For Building Control queries and Dangerous Structures in relation to Craigavon Office area, please contact Richard Dale on 07786 198954
• For Building Control queries and Dangerous Structures in relation to Armagh Office area, please contact Alison Devlin on 07715 233461 or Kevin Fitzsimons on 07796 171087
• For Building Control queries and Dangerous Structures in relation to Banbridge Office area, please contact David O’Prey on 07788 435792 or Kevin Fitzsimons on 07796 171087
• For Property Certificate queries please contact Kevin Fitzsimons on 07796 171087
• For any other matters, please contact Tom Lavery on 07702 696285

We apologize for the disruption to our service at this time, we will closely monitor the situation as it develops and will share further updates as soon as they are available.

We appreciate your patience and understanding at this time.

Due to the current Covid–19 crisis, the way in which the Environmental Health department provides services may be different to the normal methods we use. There may be delay in providing our usual response, but we aim to deal with your inquiry as quickly as possible, especially if there is an imminent risk to safety, health or the environment.

The best way to contact us is by sending an email to and one of our staff will contact you back as soon as possible.  Please provide contact details including your name, address and contact number with the details or a photograph of the issue you are complaining or enquiring about.

If you are contacting us about an ongoing matter and you know the name of the Officer you were dealing with, please email them directly in the format

If you are unable to email then you can ring 0300 0300 900

As a council, we welcome the announcement by the NI Assembly to change the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) Regulations Northern Ireland Act (2020), regarding public access to cemeteries.  We are acutely aware of the deep sensitivities surrounding the closures; therefore, all cemeteries will reopen on Saturday 25 April, with the necessary guidance in place to ensure visitor and staff safety.

During this unprecedented time, visitors are asked to:

• Follow the Public Health Authority (PHA) guidance on social distancing.
• Accommodate funeral services by leaving cemeteries if asked to do so by staff.
• Be aware that if cemetery gates are locked, during normal opening times, this is due to funeral preparations.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

For a list of council facilities, open/closed to the public click here.

Memberships and Swimming Lessons

• As our leisure and sports facilities will be closed, all ‘paid in full’ members will have their membership term extended to reflect the closure.
• All direct debit memberships will be suspended until further notice and where possible collections scheduled for the 1 and 15 April stopped.
• Direct debits collected by Pulse Fitness for Cascades Leisure Complex will be suspended as soon as possible and credit will be given to Members when the centres reopen.
• Direct Debits will not recommence until facilities are operational again and members have received the appropriate extensions to their membership.
• All centre programmes and courses such as swimming lessons will resume when facilities reopen.

Please note that all our registration offices are closed to the public.

Death and Stillborn Registration
An electronic system is now in place to register a death or a stillborn.
For further information, please click here
Guidance for Funeral Directors, please click here

Births
Birth registrations remain suspended until 29th May, after which the situation will be reviewed. For more information click here

Weddings and Civil Partnerships
All weddings have been suspended. The suspension includes all weddings in any venue including churches, registration offices and approved venues.

• No new bookings are being taken for weddings and civil partnerships at this time.
• Notices of marriage are not being accepted until further notice.

All invoices must be submitted by email quoting a valid purchase order to ensure timely processing and payment.  All invoices should be forwarded by email to:

All council events, conferences and programmes have been cancelled or postponed until further notice.

All Off Street Parking charges have been suspended until further notice.

You can access the current PHA advice on COVID-19 translated into the top 10 languages in Northern Ireland at this link:
https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/covid-19-coronavirus-translations

Information for people with a learning disability available here:
https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/coronavirus-advice-people-learning-disability

Stay at home guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection is available in British and Irish Sign Language

British Sign Language pha.site/StayHomeGuidanceBSL
Irish Sign Language pha.site/StayHomeGuidanceISL

Advice on shopping during COVID-19 animations voiced over in Bulgarian and Romanian.

Bulgarian: https://vimeo.com/415128140
Romanian: https://vimeo.com/414685126