The safe use of multi-purpose community facilities as lockdown eases

The “Guidance for the safe use of multi-purpose community facilities” document has not been updated yet, so still contains the rules that came into force on 4 January. We are not expecting a new version to be published until at least the end of March.

So here is our take on how things stand:

Step 1:   

No change from now.

Step 2:

In the Government “roadmap” document - "COVID-19 Response − Spring 2021"  it says: 

“The Government will open public buildings such as libraries and community centres” in Step 2 – not before 12 April."

The start of the same paragraph says

“Additional premises will be able to reopen but should only be visited alone or with household groups”

(paragraph 110 on page 34 (or PDF page 38) )

so we are taking that to mean that when Step 2 arrives, measures in place will need to be similar to those we were working to at the end of summer 2020.

We suggest that activities for children may be treated differently ,

 “All children will be able to attend any indoor children's activity, including sport, regardless of circumstance. Parent and child groups of up to 15 people (not counting children aged under five years old) can restart indoors”.

(paragraph 117 on page 34 (or PDF page 38) )

Weddings, receptions and wakes will still be limited to 15 people.

We assume that for other activities, the numbers will be limited by your own risk assessment, as they were before.

Step 3:

Not much more will change for community centres even when we reach Step 3 (not before May 17) apart from:

• adult indoor groups sports and exercise classes can restart, so more hirers may come back
• some party hires may be possible as the limit on specified life events celebrations will go up to 30 and meeting socially indoors in a group of six (maybe more depending on the data) will be allowed.

Step 4:

Activities in community centres and multi-use buildings that allow larger numbers of people to interact indoors will not be permitted until the social distancing restrictions are lifted which is Step 4 – no earlier than 21 June.

We expect that, until then, the guidance will be very similar to what we were working with before the Tier system came in. Guidance for village halls was provided by ACRE at that time, which is applicable to community centres as well.

See the information sheet from ACRE