Weekly waste collections to resume mid-August
Weekly waste collections in Basingstoke and Deane are set to resume from Monday 17 August as staffing for the bin collection service stabilises during the pandemic.
The council and its waste and recycling contractor Serco have reviewed staffing and are happy the weekly service can be resumed as lockdown measures continue to relax. The day residents’ bins are collected will not change.
New subscriptions to the popular garden waste service will also be available from Monday 3 August but residents are being advised it may take over a month for bins or bags to be delivered and collections to start.
The council and Serco will continue to review the staffing of all waste and recycling services and will take measures to protect the core services during the COVID-19 crisis if required.
Reinstating the weekly waste collection and opening new garden waste subscriptions means all of the council’s waste and recycling services will be back online by mid-August. The council first made the difficult decision to stop garden waste and bulky waste collections in March and temporarily move to a fortnightly waste collection late April.
For more information and frequently asked questions visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/covid-19-bins-and-recycling
Leisure facilities set to reopen this weekend
Facilities at Basingstoke Aquadrome and Tadley Swimming Pool and Gym will reopen this Saturday (25 July), following further easing of lockdown restrictions.
Officers have been supporting Serco, which runs the two facilities, to understand the measures that need to be in place to safely reopen.
At the Aquadrome, the gym, studio for classes and the 25-metre pool will reopen on a reduced capacity. The lagoon and health suite will remain closed.
The gym and pool facilities will also reopen at Tadley Swimming Pool and Gym. Due to the size of the studio, no fitness classes will be running at the facility.
At both facilities, swimming lessons will resume from Saturday 1 August.
All activities at both facilities will need to be pre-booked to allow Serco to monitor and maintain social distancing and customers will be encouraged by make card payments where possible.
The reopening of these facilities follows the earlier reinstatement of activities at Basingstoke Golf Centre, which is also operated by Serco. The pitch and putt, adventure golf and driving range facilities are available but the clubhouse and toilets remain closed.
Shoppers must wear face coverings from Friday
Shoppers across the borough are being reminded to wear face coverings from Friday (24 July) when visiting the town centre.
Officers have been helping retailers to safely reopen by ensuring they have the appropriate measures in place, as well as working with Basingstoke Together BID, Festival Place and The Malls to ensure Basingstoke town centre is a safe and pleasant experience for shoppers.
A number of measures have been put in place, including walking on the left hand side of walkways, an increased cleaning schedule of public areas, hand sanitising units and extensive signage reminding shoppers what they need to do.
On 14 July, the government announced that face coverings would be compulsory in all shops and supermarkets, in line with public transport, from this Friday (24 July).
This new measure will help to reduce the spread of COVID-19 from droplets from coughs and sneezes when visiting smaller areas where social distancing may be more difficult, alongside other measures such as regularly washing your hands.
The government’s guidance on face coverings can be found at
www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own