Wakefield Council events and weddings postponed until August following new coronavirus guidelines

Wedding ceremonies in council venues due to take place in July are also being postponed.

Following the latest Government guidance, any public events, groups and meetings which are due to take place before June 30 will have to be postponed to a later date.

Those with a wedding ceremony booked at one of the council’s venues will also be postponed until after the end of July and all those affected are being contacted directly to arrange a rescheduled date. There will also be no new bookings taken for wedding ceremonies until after July.

Andrew Balchin, Wakefield Council’s Acting Chief Executive, said: “Following the latest Government guidance, we have taken the difficult decision to postpone events and ceremonies taking place at council venues.

“This is part of the national effort to help manage the spread of the coronavirus and we will always put the safety, health and wellbeing of our residents and staff at the heart of what we need to do.

“It is never easy to make decisions like this as we understand the impact it will have on many people, especially those looking forward to celebrating special ceremonies, and we share in your disappointment.

“We are contacting all those affected and will be supporting those who wish to rearrange at a later date.

“You have our assurance that we will continue to closely monitor and act on the latest Government advice and will re-open the venues for ceremonies and events as soon as it is safe to do so.”

At the end of March, the council postponed meetings and events within its buildings and venues until the end of May and this decision has now been reviewed and extended.

The council is continuing to monitor and follow the latest Government guidance on when and how it is able to resume Council-run events safely.

For customers who have paid in advance, arrangements will be made to provide refunds or credit notes. These arrangements will be confirmed directly with customers once agreed.

Residents can find up to date information on the Council’s dedicated coronavirus information web page at bit.ly/CoronaWFD