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Introduction
Updated: Tuesday 13 April 2021
We all have a role to play in stopping the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19):
- Follow NI Executive guidelines
- Wear a face covering
- Practise social distancing
- Wash and sanitise your hands
Visit nidirect's website (link opens in new window) for information on the restrictions.
Click the + symbol to read the updates.
Venues and services information
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Venues and facilities
Sports pitches, pavilions and facilities
Our sports pitches and bowling greens reopened on 12 April allowing up to 15 people (including coaches) to take part in structured outdoor sports training organised by clubs or individuals affiliated to recognised sports governing bodies or representative organisations for sport and physical activity.
Pavilions and changing rooms will be opened to provide access to essential toilet facilities only. Please note: Individual toilet facilities will open, subject to the completion of water testing and Legionella compliance.
The Cycling Track at Orangefield also reopened on 12 April.
Our outdoor gyms, tennis courts and Bridges Urban Sports Park are open to the public.
Mary Peters Track is also open to the public. Visitors must book before attending.
City of Belfast Golf Course and Ormeau Golf Course are open to Club Members only.
Belfast Zoo
The zoo is closed to the public. You can contact Belfast Zoo (link opens in new window) by emailing info@belfastzoo.co.uk or calling 028 9077 6277.
St George's Market
St George’s Market is closed to the public.
Smithfield Market
In Smithfield Market only essential service traders are open to the public.
Community centres
Our community centres remain open for childcare, anchor tenants' urgent access and bookings for essential services. All other bookings are cancelled.
Leisure centres
All Better leisure centres are closed until further notice.
Closures include:
Belfast Castle and Malone House
Malone House (link opens in new window) and Belfast Castle (link opens in new window) are closed to the public.
You can contact Belfast Castle by email bcr@belfastcastle.co.uk or Malone House by email mhreception@malonehouse.co.uk to discuss any current or future bookings.
City Hall
More venues
- Tropical Ravine and Palm House
- ICC Belfast (Waterfront) (link opens in new window)
- Ulster Hall (link opens in new window)
- Cecil Ward Building including Consumer Advice Services, Belfast Planning Service and Bereavement Services Office
Parks
Our parks are open. But it is important that everyone observes social distancing in our parks.
Events
Visit our events page for updates.
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Cemeteries, cremations and burials
Cemeteries
Burials and cremations
Burials and cremations are taking place, however there are restrictions in place. The number of people allowed to attend burial and cremation committal services has changed and will be based on risk assessment, which will be carried out by the funeral directors who organise and manage the arrangements. We have also refreshed our site risk assessments.
The chapel and facilities at City of Belfast Crematorium are closed to the public. A brief service or eulogy may be held outside the Crematorium building.
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Births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships
Currently there are restrictions on marriage and civil partnership ceremonies.
We have allocated two rooms in City Hall to accommodate couples who are having ceremonies while still maintaining social distancing.
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Council services
Some of our Environmental Health Services are suspended, but you can use our email addresses for any urgent queries. We will monitor these during office hours and deal with queries on a priority basis. We are unable to carry out visits to premises, unless it is an emergency, and will always consider the safety of staff and members of the public.
For our dog warden service, email dogwardens@belfastcity.gov.uk or for animal welfare, email animalwelfare@belfastcity.gov.uk
- Find out more about dog control and animal welfare's limited service
For port health, email porthealth@belfastcity.gov.uk (or you can call 028 9035 1199)
For Houses in Multiple Occupation, email nihmo@belfastcity.gov.uk
For other urgent queries including:
- food safety
- health and safety
- pollution control
- noise
- off street parking
- public health
- housing
email envhealth@belfastcity.gov.uk. For emergencies outside normal working hours, call 07850 499622.
Pest control
Our pest control service is operating on a limited basis. We can only offer appointments for outdoor calls in response to rats.
- Read more about our pest control service
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Building Control, Planning Services and Licensing
Building Control inspections, licences and permits
You can:
- find out more about how building control is affected
- find out more about how licences and permits are affected
Planning Service
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Bins and recycling centres
Find out more information about changes to waste services and what to do with coronavirus waste
Our recycling centres are open seven days a week.
Business advice and support
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Business advice and support
We offer free, confidential support and guidance to businesses on how to keep staff and customers safe. Call our advice line on 028 9027 0565 from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, to speak to an adviser. You can also email covid19businessadvice@belfastcity.gov.uk and an adviser will respond within one working day.
Hospitality businesses can contact us by email at hospitalitysectorrecovery@belfastcity.gov.uk with queries about licensing and measures to help the business function in a viable way.
For guidance on maintaining drinking water quality following temporary closure of premises, visit the DAERA website. (link opens in new window).
Rent relief support programme for business tenants
If you're a business tenant in one of our properties in Belfast, you could be eligible for rent relief. For information on how to apply and to check eligibility criteria, go to Rent relief support programme for council tenants.
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Business restrictions, safety guidance and advice
Coronavirus business closures
During coronavirus (COVID-19), by law certain types of services, businesses and shops must close their premises to the public. We’re responsible for enforcing closures and restrictions for shops and businesses, which do not need a licence to operate. The police enforce closures of licensed premises.
Premises we can inspect
Our environmental health officers can investigate complaints about health and safety in:
- offices (except government offices)
- hairdressers and barbers
- beauticians and nail bars
- shops and retail outlets
- hotels
- restaurants
- leisure centres
- nurseries and playgroups
- pubs and clubs
- privately-owned museums
- places of worship
- sheltered accommodation and care homes
We can inspect and enforce health and safety law in these premises. If you’re concerned about health and safety, including social distancing in these premises, you can contact us by email: envhealth@belfastcity.gov.uk
Reporting concerns about social distancing in the workplace
If you’re concerned about unsafe work practices in workplaces such as manufacturing and construction, you should contact the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland. They can investigate complaints that social distancing advice is not being followed.
- Complaints about unsafe and unhealthy work activities (link opens in new window)
To find lists of businesses which are subject to restrictions, go to:
- Coronavirus business closures and restrictions (link opens in a new window)
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Localised Restrictions Support Scheme
This scheme provides financial support to businesses which have to close or have had their business activities curtailed by health protection restrictions that the Northern Ireland Executive has put in place. To read about the scheme, go to Localised Restrictions Support Scheme (link opens in new window).
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Workplace safety guidelines and social distancing
If your business can continue to operate, you must follow workplace safety guidelines and social distancing (link opens in new window) to protect the safety and health of everyone in your workplace, including your customers and others visiting the premises.
Businesses must review their risk assessments and put in place measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Public Health Agency (PHA) guidance (link opens in new window) should be considered as part of the risk assessment. An example of a COVID-19 risk assessment is available on the Health and Safety Executive NI Website (link opens in new window).
Detailed guidance and advice for businesses
Check trusted sources for information:
Guidance from the Public Health Agency (PHA) (link opens in new window)
Guidance for employees, employers and businesses (GOV.UK) (link opens in new window)
Advice on safety measures in the workplace (HSENI) (link opens in new window)
Guidelines for food businesses (GOV.UK) (link opens in new window)
Food delivery and takeaway guidance (CIEH) (link opens in new window)
Sources of guidance and support on the impact of COVID-19 (NI Assembly) (link opens in new window)
Guidance for employers and businesses on managing Legionella. (link opens in new window)
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Reporting issues and concerns about businesses
Complaining about social distancing
Depending on the type of business, if you're concerned about social distancing in business premises, you should contact us by emailing envhealth@belfastcity.gov.uk or the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) by emailing mail@hseni.gov.uk or calling 0800 0320 121.
Reporting concerns about unsafe workplaces
If you are a member of public concerned about unsafe work practices in a shop, an office or a warehouse, you can contact us by emailing envhealth@belfastcity.gov.uk.
Concerns about unsafe work practices in other types of workplaces such as manufacturing and construction sites should be reported to the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland by emailing mail@hseni.gov.uk.
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Call for businesses to supply ventilators and ventilator components
As part of the government response to COVID-19, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is seeking UK businesses and organisations to design, manufacture or supply ventilators and ventilator components, and those who have, or provide, medical training or logistics capabilities.
If your business or organisation can help, find out more and register (link opens in new window)
Enforcement and regulation
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Complying with the regulations
Our staff have been working with businesses and providing guidance around compliance, as well as operating a dedicated helpline for businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
We are jointly responsible for enforcing the regulations with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
Officers from our compliance team visit businesses and investigate complaints to ensure compliance with the Coronavirus (COVID) regulations.
Our primary aim is to encourage businesses to comply with the regulations but if necessary, and in the interests of public health and safety, our officers will use the full range of enforcement powers available to them in line with our enforcement and regulation policy.
Under the COVID regulations, inspectors can take enforcement action in the form of a fixed penalty notice, a prohibition notice and/or a premises improvement notice.
- A fixed penalty notice is a fine for committing an offence, starting at £1,000 to a maximum of £10,000.
- A prohibition notice requires a business to immediately stop an activity that is contravening the requirements of the coronavirus law.
- A premises improvement notice requires a business to take action to comply with the requirements of the coronavirus law within a specified time.
Further information on the requirements of the Coronavirus regulations can be found at www.nidirect.gov.uk (link opens in new window).
If you are concerned about a business that may not be complying with the Coronavirus regulations you can contact us by email envhealth@belfastcity.gov.uk.
Advice and support for residents
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Belfast community support
We are working with community, voluntary and statutory providers in Belfast to make sure that our residents’ needs are supported throughout the pandemic.
- Find out more about Belfast community support
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Advice for pet owners
We are advising animal owners to make sure their pets are kept under control during coronavirus (COVID-19). This can help to keep members of the public safe, and allow social distancing guidance to be followed.
We ask that dogs are kept on a lead when out in public, and for dog owners to check their pets are secure when they are at home to minimise the risk of straying.
- Find out more about dog control and animal welfare
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#AWeeBitOfHope campaign
We still need to be on our guard against COVID-19, but the longer evenings and warmer temperatures give us hope for better days ahead. So, this spring, we’re using our social media channels to spread #AWeeBitOfHope.