Sweeping lockdown sees closure of caravan parks

Sweeping lockdown sees closure of caravan parks

1 April 2020

CARAVAN parks across the district have been ordered to close.

Newry, Mourne and Down Council issued the directive in the wake of the sweeping lockdown measures ordered last week by Prime Minister Boris Johnston.

There are an estimated 15 car parks dotted across the district, with only those where people live permanently or are staying as their primary home is not currently available are allowed to remain open.

Among the car parks that are closed is the one operated by Newry, Mourne and Down Council at Delamont Country Park outside Killyleagh.

Several others in the Newcastle area have also closed with the owners of the Bonnys and Sunnyholme parks taking to social media to remind people of the importance of following government guidelines to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The caravan park owners say that their thoughts and prayers are with everyone directly affected by  by the virus and all those dealing with its impact. The Newcastle parks provide pitches for privately owned and static caravans.

The social media post says that the owners of Bonnys and Sunnyholme have been assessing the current situation “for the best interest of all parties” which resulted in the difficult decision to close both sites following government instruction, initially for a period of three weeks.

“In these times of financial uncertainty we understand people will be concerned. Until there is more clarity, we will not be able to address pitch fees. This can only be figured out when the situation has concluded,” the post continues.

“Hopefully, there may be government intervention to help us all. At the minute, the priority is keeping everyone safe.”

The statement adds: “We would like to thank everyone for their understanding during this difficult time. We look forward to the new season resuming, when it is safe to do so. Until then, we all need to play our part in helping fight the spread of COVID-19.”

Rowallane councillor Billy Walker said caravan parks made a major contribution to the local economy and hoped that it will not be long before they are back in business.

He said that for now, the important thing is to ensure that local businesses are provided with financial support if they are entitled to it and that people stay safe.

“These are difficult times for everyone and the worry and concern across the community is palpable. These are unprecedented times and we must all heed the message we have been given to help stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus,” continued Cllr Walker.

“We all have a responsibility to adhere to the measures which have been introduced designed to prevent the spread of the disease and ease the pressure on our National Health Service.”

Cllr Walker said that while these were challenging times, he hoped that if people do what they are supposed to, the spread of the virus can be halted. 

He also encouraged people to look forward to a time when normality returns.