WHILE most businesses are revelling in the latest lockdown lift, the Indian variant of Covid-19 and talks of delaying the next and final stage of the roadmap has caused uncertainty for others.

Event organisers have been busy planning a jam-packed summer for Salisbury, when the pandemic was hoped to be a thing of the past, but these plans have always been victim to lockdown guidelines.

The Chapel Nightclub is just one venue which is now waiting until the middle of June to find out if it can reopen from June 21.

Amanda Newbery, co-owner of The Chapel and Vestry, has told the Journal that The Chapel will be reopening with plans to offer more than just a nightclub experience to the city, with events, workshops and more lined up.

“A little bit in the hands of the roadmap” however, Amanda said: “We’re currently working with artists, promoters and organisations who put on club nights but when we reopen we want to give more of a cultural offering.

“We’ve got so many plans but we won’t know until June 14 [a confirmed reopening date], which is the week before.”

Amanda added: “There are hints from the Government that they don’t want to head back down the roadmap route.

“We know there will be some restrictions on us like capacity and other mitigating factors. What we’re trying to do is get this offer together for the end of June, keeping it flexible just in case we have to change things.

“This is quite a challenge when we’re not entirely knowing of what to do.”

Amanda’s latest venture, a hospitality venue complete with courtyard, roof terrace and street food, named ‘Brown Street’, as well as Vestry along Milford Street, will be opening before the nightclub is given the green light, but the business owner says the team is “taking it slowly”.

Read more: New courtyard venue with street food and live music planned for city

She added: “We don’t want to rush back but we want to feel our way back with this wider offer, while being safe and careful, we don’t want to be shut down again.

“As a music venue we are allowed to operate but we have obviously been set up more for DJs, so we’re now moving into more areas.

“The people of this demographic won’t be vaccinated until July, the first dose at least, so we have to bear that in mind too.

“The next couple of weeks will be crucial as the government will give more indication as to what venues will be able to expect.”

Get more Salisbury news. 

You can also like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date.

If you want online news with fewer ads, unlimited access and reader rewards - plus a chance to support our local journalism - find out more about registering or a digital subscription.

Email newsdesk@salisburyjournal.co.uk with your comments, pictures, letters and news stories.