Mansfield District Council is inspecting its play equipment and outdoor gyms with the hope that they can be used again from 4th July.

It is also seeking to increase the number of stalls at Mansfield Market, but is aiming to keep closer to a 2m social distancing level to encourage more confidence in the public to return to the town centre.

The council said it is continuing to work with Nottinghamshire County Council and Mansfield BID to help cafes and licensed venues to open safely next month. Applications for pavement licences will be considered by the highways authority, which will take into consideration public safety and access.

Mayor Andy Abrahams said: “Mansfield people have been really responsible in the way they have adhered to government guidance to curb the spread of the virus and this district has one of the lowest rates of infection in the county.

“We really hope they continue to be sensible so we can maintain the low rate of infection but, at the same time, we hope they also have the confidence to get back to normal ways of living and feel they can get out and support the local shops and businesses.”

There are no plans to reopen Mansfield Museum until after the school summer holidays and the Palace Theatre will remain closed until later in the year.

The Four Seasons multi-storey car park is due to reopen today (Tuesday, 30th June) with Shopmobility set to return the following week.

As reported last week the council’s car parks are free to use until September.

Hayley Barsby, chief executive of the council, said: “Public safety remains paramount in how the council emerges from the lockdown.

“The Government guidance is just that, so we will only reopen facilities when we have a proper plan in place and feel confident we can do so safely.

“Regardless of any safety measures we put in place, individually we all ultimately rely on each other to be careful and sensible in how we go about our everyday lives.

“Things like regularly washing our hands and keeping our distance from others continues to be an important part of our daily routines.”

Mansfield District Leisure Trust (MDLT), supported by teams from across Serco, has a plan in place for the reopening of leisure centres as soon as the Government gives the green light.

Andrew Smith, Contract Manager for MDLT, said: “The safety of people using and working at our centres is paramount and our plans reflect this.

“Before lockdown, we already had social distancing measures in place and we’ll be re-introducing those and further measures to ensure people are able to safely exercise and work in our facilities.

“We’re confident our stringent planning is going to pay off, ensuring customers and colleagues are able to easily adapt to our new way of operating.

“During the initial phase, we will not be reopening our River Maun Recreation Centre. This decision was taken primarily from a safety, social distancing viewpoint.”

The council has also received several enquiries regarding its football pitches and is looking at how it can reopen them for training purposes only.

There are no plans to reopen the Civic Centre and council staff that can work remotely will continue to work from home for the foreseeable future.

People can still contact the council on 01623 463463 or by emailing [email protected] or via the council’s social media channels.

Regularly updated details about the council services during the coronavirus situation can be found at https://www.mansfield.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-1/services-update/1