WORK on Castlepoint’s much-troubled car park is continuing despite the virus crisis, the shopping centre’s management says.

On Monday, prime minster Boris Johnson ordered a lockdown on the country.

People are only allowed out the house if they are shopping for essentials, getting one form of exercise a day, collecting medical supplies or travelling to and from work.

As a result, all shops have been made to close apart from those offering essentials like food.

The shops that remain open in Castlepoint Shopping Centre are:

  • Sainsbury’s
  • Asda
  • The lower floor of M&S
  • Boots
  • Natwest

All other stores are closed until further guidance from the government.

However, the construction work on the carpark is still scheduled to go ahead.

Centre manager David Pickett said: “The work on the Castlepoint shopping centre car park is currently continuing in line with the latest advice from the government.

“We will continue to monitor updates.”

Health secretary Matt Hancock said: “The judgement we have made is that in work, in many instances, the two-metre rule can be applied. In my work place, in the House of Commons, you can see it every day.

“Where possible, people should work from home and employers have a duty to ensure that people are more than two metres apart.

“The principles of what we are trying to achieve is to keep people apart to slow the spread. The more people follow the rules, the faster we will all get through this.”

The multi-million pound project to rebuild the car park has moved on to its second phase.

The first phase of the work, which took place at the Sainsbury’s end of the car park, opened to the public in September. The second phase is due for completion at Easter. It will be followed by a further three phases with the entire project due to be finished in 2023.