THE borough council has confirmed that a Basingstoke skate park remains closed despite people continuing to use it.

As previously reported, Rooksdown Skate Park was shut by the borough council on January 26 after concerns were raised by police about the safety of the facility being used during lockdown.

The facility should have been closed in December when the lockdown was announced, under restrictions which prevent all sports and exercise venues from opening.

However, the council only closed skate parks in the town in January following regular monitoring by community safety patrol officers and the police.

The borough council’s executive director of residents services, Rebecca Emmett, said that signage would be erected to inform users of the closure and said that skate parks would be “subject to regular enforcement”.

However, on Tuesday afternoon at least 15 people were seen using the skate park in Rooksdown.

Residents have previously raised concerns about the skate park being busy prior to it closing, with one telling the Gazette: “The skate park is constantly busy. I am so fed up and appalled at people’s neglect to keep others and themselves safe.”

A statement from the borough council said: “The decision to close the skate parks was taken at the end of January as Skateboard GB changed their guidance to say that all indoor and outdoor venues must close.

“The police also raised concerns regarding large gatherings at the Rooksdown skate park, and therefore the decision was taken to shut them.”

According to the government’s roadmap, the earliest that outdoor sports and leisure facilities can reopen is March 29.