Play Areas and Outdoor Gyms Set to Reopen in July

Play areas and outdoor gyms set to reopen in July

Play areas and outdoor gyms are set to reopen from Saturday 4 July in line with the latest Government guidance.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council will start reopening its 150 play areas in the borough from Saturday 4 July but has asked residents to be patient while the necessary health and safety inspections are carried out and signage is installed at each location.

The council’s play inspection team will also be reopening 50 play areas belonging to parish and town councils in the borough as well as outdoor gyms.
Before each play area and outdoor gym can be safely reopened it must be inspected and residents are asked not to use the equipment until the council’s team has carried out this work and declared it fit for use.

Families and those wishing to exercise on the gym equipment will also be asked to follow the latest social distancing guidance when using the facilities.

Play areas and outdoor gyms in the borough were closed in March due to the pandemic. Their reopening has been announced as part of the latest set of COVID-19 recovery guidance issued by the Government.

Cabinet Member for Planning, Infrastructure and the Natural Environment Cllr Mark Ruffell said: “It is great news that at long last play areas and outdoor gyms are going to reopen and I know this will please a large number of families and exercise enthusiasts in the borough. We are incredibly proud to have 150 very popular play areas across Basingstoke and Deane and each one will need to be individually inspected and new signage put up to help keep people safe when visiting. We are working hard to reopen these and the 50 parish and town council owned play areas and outdoor gyms from Saturday 4 July. We will complete this work as quickly as we can and ask residents to only use a play area or a piece of outdoor gym equipment if it has been declared safe by our inspectors and is clearly open from Saturday 4 July onwards.”
For more information and to find your nearest play area visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/playareas