Drive-in church services proposed during crisis easing in Newtownabbey

Trinity Reformed Presbyterian Church is seeking the use of the theatre carpark at either Mossley Mill or Ballyearl Leisure Centre and Abbots Cross Congregational wishes to use the carpark at the Valley Leisure Centre following a relaxation of Covid-19 lockdown rules permitting drive-in church services.

Council-owned carparks in Antrim and Newtownabbey are scheduled to reopen on Wednesday (May 27).

However, all leisure centres, play parks, public toilets and outdoor gyms in the borough will remain closed.

Parks have remained open throughout lockdown, although adjacent carparks were closed due to people not complying with social distancing.

Meanwhile, repairs and maintenance have been carried out at golf facilities at Allen Park, in Antrim and Ballyearl in Newtownabbey, ahead of easing of lockdown restrictions over play.

It is proposed that courses and driving ranges will be open for the remainder of the financial year. Buildings and toilets will remain shut.

It is also expected that council-owned tennis courts at Mossley, Lilian Bland, Sixmile Park and Wallace Park re-open on May 27 and angling at council facilities will resume on this date.

Plans are also in the pipeline for an “urgent first cut across the borough” of grass areas owned by the borough council at an estimated cost of £45,000.

On Thursday, the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) announced that it was preparing to open carparks at its forests and country parks on Wednesday, May 27.

The DAERA estate has been restricted to visitors since late March in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19.

DAERA MInister Edwin Poots said: “I have asked my Department to make the necessary arrangements for DAERA-owned forests and country parks to gradually lift restrictions on a phased basis, starting with the re-opening of carparks on Wednesday 27 May.

“Following discussions facilitated by my Department, many other organisations including councils, have now indicated that they too, will begin to reopen their carparks at many of their sites on that date.”

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