Coronavirus: Ipswich council closes all public buildings

A council has closed all public buildings, including theatres and swimming pools, and an Ed Sheeran exhibition, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Ipswich Borough Council made the decision after the government issued advice on avoiding social venues.

Car parks, crematoria and cemeteries will remain open and core services such as refuse collection will continue.

The council said it would review the decision later this week.

The council said it would review the decision later this week.

Council-run venues affected by the immediate closure include the 1,550-seat Regent Theatre, the Town Hall and Corn Exchange, Crown Pools, Fore Street Pool, sports centres, the Tourist Information Centre, the visitor centres in Christchurch and Holywells parks and the museum and art gallery at Christchurch Mansion.

Christchurch Mansion is currently home to the Ed Sheeran: Made in Suffolk exhibition, featuring portraits and photographs of the singer-songwriter as well as many personal items belonging to the star.

The council said it intended to arrange for people to be refunded if they had already bought tickets to events at any of the closed venues.

Labour council leader David Ellesmere said: "The advice from the government was strong - it is for public health reasons - so we took that decision as soon as we heard what we were advised to do."

He said the council had "not had to do anything like this before".

He added: "We don't have any choice; we have to do this for the safety of the public."

He said all staff affected by the closures would continue to be paid and some may be deployed to other areas.

Bin collections and the council's Home Emergency Alarm Response Service (Hears) would not be affected, the council said.

Its headquarters at Grafton House on Russell Road remain open, but members of the public are asked not to go there and instead direct any queries to its customer services team via the website or by telephone.

Other venues to announce closures include independent live music venue The Smokehouse in South Street in Ipswich, and Snape Maltings, which has cancelled all its music events and activities "until at least the end of April".

However, the site remains open for walkers, shopping and visitors, a statement on its website said.

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