No room at the inn for community church on Christmas Day

A congregation in County Down will attend a Christmas Day service outside the community centre they usually use after the local council said it could not open the building on 25 December.

About 40 people attend West Winds Community Church, which meets at the council-owned West Winds Community Centre in Newtownards.

The church held a service there last Christmas, but its request to do the same this year was rejected by Ards and North Down Borough Council, which said it could not secure the necessary staffing.

Instead, the congregation will meet outside the centre on Christmas morning, despite being offered the use of other local church premises.

Reverend Stephen Doherty of West Winds Community Church said it was important for the congregation to worship at its regular location.

"The community centre has become a central hub for our worship, for community outreach and for general church activities and fundraisers," he said.

"Therefore we feel that whilst we don't own it, this centre is our spiritual home."

A recent meeting of the council heard that the church used the community centre on Christmas Day last year, which amounted to a "breach" of council policy and "not with the knowledge of senior management".

At that council meeting, a motion was passed to allow the centre to open on Christmas Day this year, on the condition that staff were willing to work on a voluntary basis.

All 35 councillors in the chamber at the council meeting on 17 December voted in favour of the motion

However, the council later said it was unable to secure the necessary staffing to ensure a safe and compliant opening.

Rev Doherty said he was "deeply disappointed" by the decision.

Councillor Richard Smart, who brought the motion to the council, said the proposal would apply to any group, not just churches, provided staff were willing to work voluntarily.

He said the church was "a key part of the West Winds community, bringing together all denominations to provide individual support within a Christian ethos".

"The caretaker was keen to work it, so it's disappointing that a workaround couldn't be found," he said.

Ards and North Down Borough Council said it was agreed West Winds Community Centre could only open on Christmas Day if sufficient staff were willing to work voluntarily and operational requirements could be met.

"Despite best efforts, it was not possible for council to secure the necessary staffing to ensure safe and compliant opening," a council spokesperson said.

"Future provision arrangements will be considered as part of the council's ongoing review of our community facilities."