Weald Country Park will reopen tomorrow as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions are loosened nationwide.

Essex County Council (ECC) will reopen all ten of the county’s country parks on Thursday, May 21 – two months after they were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The parks, car parks and toilets will be open to the public, however the children’s play equipment, visitor centres and cafes will remain closed, in line with government guidance.

Cllr Simon Walsh, ECC's cabinet member with responsibility for country parks, said: “I know the opening of Essex Country Parks will be a welcome announcement for many Essex residents, who appreciate the chance to spend time outdoors in our beautiful Essex parks. Now more than ever, we have seen how spending time outdoors can be beneficial for our physical and mental health.

"We have taken the time to consider how we can safely open the parks and ensure social distancing rules can be followed and are now in a position where we can open, with some adjustments.”

Visitors to the parks are asked to maintain two-metres distance from one another at all times.

The parks will also be opening under restricted hours – 9am to 5pm – and once car parks are full ECC will limit access to the parks.

Cllr Walsh added: “Visitors are asked to plan for their visit and consider how they can enjoy our parks in the safest way – this might be considering if they could walk to their local park rather than drive, downloading the parking payment app MiPermit, or avoiding busy times.

"We will continually monitoring the situation and if social distancing cannot be maintained and we are worried about the safety of visitors or our staff we will have to put in place further restrictions”

Fishing will be permitted during open hours however fishing passes must be purchased in advance online.

The following parks will be open from May 21:

  • Belhus Woods Country Park
  • Cressing Temple Barns
  • Cudmore Grove Country Park
  • Danbury Country Park
  • Great Notley Country Park
  • Hadleigh Country Park
  • Marsh Farm Country Park
  • Thorndon North Country Park
  • Thorndon South County Park
  • Weald Country Park

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