Author: Parish Clerk

• Effective from now people are encouraged to use public transport if they need to although they should consider alternatives if available.
• From 25 July, as previously planned, indoor leisure facilities such as gyms and swimming pools can open.
• From 1 August, bowling alleys, skating rinks, and personal beauty services can open. Nightclubs and soft play centres must remain closed for now.
• From 1 August, employers will have the discretion to make decisions about how to get back to work safely – this could mean some people continuing to work from home, for some people this may be coming back into work settings.
• From 1 August, indoor performances can take place. Wider audience attendance at sports event in stadia will be piloted with the aim to bring back audiences in stadia in October. Weddings of up to 30 people will be permitted from August.
• From November at the earliest there will be a review on whether to relax social distancing measures and signal a complete return to normal.
• The Government’s formal shielding programme is due to end on 31 July. Shielding will be stood up again at any point if required.

This guidance was issued by BDBC. Further guidance is expected on each of these different stages. A further Government update is expected on 1 August.

At a meeting on 8 July, BDBC granted outline planning permission for the Manydown development This will consist of up to 3,520 new homes plus community facilities and a new 250 acre country park. For details, see the press release.

Following the resignation of Cllr Jasti, there is now a vacancy on the parish council. This can be filled either by co-option or by-election. See the official notice for details, and contact the Clerk if you have any questions.

Parish councils are audited every year to make sure the financial management is in order. There are two audits:

• The internal audit, which checks all the meetings have been run properly, the accounts are in order and everything has been done as it should throughout the year
• The external audit, which double checks all the financials and asks for corrections or changes to procedures if anything is out of order.

As part of the process, the council must open its books to any resident of the parish who wishes to inspect them. This is explained in the Notice of Public Rights. Because of the pandemic, the dates for inspection are set later this year – 1 September to 12 October. If you wish to inspect the accounts during this period, please make an appointment with the Clerk.

The Annual Governance and Accountability Return includes the internal audit report and the financial statements. At the moment it is in its unaudited – provisional – form. When the external audit is complete it will be accompanied by an audit certificate.

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

The borough council will start reopening play areas from Saturday 4 July and is asking 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. For more information and to find your nearest play area visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/playareas

• what you can and can’t do after 4 July. See latest government statement.

The minutes of the meeting are now available.