A BASINGSTOKE shopping centre is preparing to welcome back shoppers next month.

Non-essential retailers at Festival Place will be reopening on April 12, subject to lockdown restrictions being eased.

The centre's management team have been busy putting in place new signage reminding shoppers of the one-way system and mask wearing rule.

Director Neil Churchill said: “We are very excited to welcome back our customers. The news seems to be very positive with the rollout of the vaccination programme and infection rates going down. We hope this really will be the last time our non-essential retailers will have to close their doors.

“However, we must remember that the priority as always is the health and wellbeing of our customers and employees of Festival Place, so we will continue to ask you all to wear face coverings and keep social distancing to make sure that we are safe and continuing to look after each other.

“We have produced clear, but friendly, signs around the centre to show people how to shop safely and our enhanced cleaning procedures are all in place.

“We hope that our fabulous and loyal customers will come back and support all the retailers in Basingstoke so that we can get back to normal levels of trading very soon.”

Festival Place has remained open through the third lockdown as essential retailers were allowed to remain open.

Hand sanitising stations remain at the entrances and a thorough cleaning regime will be implemented.