AN ENTRANCE to a Basingstoke park has been shut for more than two months, after the borough council received complaints about the path being slippery and it failed to meet safety standards.

In July, the Gazette asked Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council why the entrance by the bandstand in War Memorial Park was fenced off.

It responded to say there was “some work going on in the area” adding: “We are replacing a section of the footpath by the bandstand in War Memorial Park and so, to allow contractors to do this and ensure the public is kept safe, it has been temporarily closed to allow the work to take place.

“While this means that the entrance by the bandstand is also temporarily closed, the other entrances to War Memorial Park are remaining open.”

However, two months later the entrance is still closed, and there is no sign of any work taking place.

Cllr John McKay, who represents the Grove ward, has now revealed that the path was actually closed off because the council received “several complaints” about it being slippery, and carried out tests which “failed to meet safety standards”.

Writing in a leaflet issued by the Basingstoke Liberal Democrats, he said: “It was necessary to close the footpath to avoid accidents. We’re pressing the council to complete the repairs and re-open the footpath as soon as possible.”

 

The borough council’s head of property and assets Martin Jones said: “Work to replace the pathway by the band stand is set to start by Monday 28 September, with the potential for works to begin this week subject to the availability of materials, contractors’ other commitments and the weather.

“Council officers have been working to arrange the replacement of the pathway by the band stand following its closure on 18 July. Unfortunately a number of factors have delayed the start of the works. These included the lack of necessary materials locally and the availability of contractors during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Based on predicted weather conditions it is estimated that, once started, the works will take approximately two weeks to complete.”