EASTROP paddling pool and Chineham Park splash pad could re-open at the end of June, the council has said.

Both water facilities for children, along with the water fountains near Festival Place, have been closed for more than a year, despite government Covid restrictions allowing the council to re-open them.

Last year, the Gazette reported that the borough council-owned free outdoor water play facilities in Basingstoke would remain closed, despite a change in government guidance.

In July 2020, outdoor pools and water play could re-open as long as government guidance could be met.

However, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, which owns the paddling pool at Eastrop, the Chineham Park splash pad in Popley, and the fountains, said it was concerned it could not meet the guidance to ensure the safety of people using the areas.

They have remained closed since.

Now, the council is again allowed to re-open these facilities under government Covid guidance. Outdoor pools were allowed to reopen from March 29. However, the facilities in Basingstoke remain shut.

A statement on the borough council’s website states that they are “currently closed in line with the government’s lockdown restrictions”.

It adds: “We have continued to review the use of these facilities in line with the key dates in the government’s roadmap out of lockdown. We are working towards a late June opening but will provide an update to residents via our website and social media channels.”

The Gazette has asked the council for further information, including why these facilities remain shut.