CHILDREN and parents have been deprived of play areas on a Dunmow housing estate for over two years because developers have failed to install promised play equipment. Families on the affordable housing section of the Woodlands Park estate have been left w

CHILDREN and parents have been deprived of play areas on a Dunmow housing estate for over two years because developers have failed to install promised play equipment.

Families on the affordable housing section of the Woodlands Park estate have been left with two overgrown grass lands that are now being used as a rubbish tip for trolleys, tables, beds and discarded clothing including a leather jacket and some Adidas jogging bottoms.

The two sections lie between housing on Willow Road and, as part of the original planning document for the estate, were set to be made into areas for children to play safely and for mums and dads to sit and watch.

But three years after the Estuary Housing Association development was finished by builders Wickford Developments the story is very different, deputy town Clerk David Green said: "Estuary housing were supposed to install the play areas more than a year ago, the town council even came up with some plans for them to use, we find it unacceptable that the areas have been left in such an awful state."

Documents seen by the Broadcast indicate that plans were agreed for the two sites, measuring 13.5 x 11.5m and 16.8m x 9.5m respectively, and an open day was conducted by the housing association last year to find out what residents actually wanted, but nothing has happened since.

Mr Green said: "It is not fair on the children and families who live in that area, we want to push this on now because it has gone on long enough."

The developers' communications officer Joanne Jones said that on Tuesday, the same day as the problem was reported, an official e-mail with all the finished plans had been sent off to Uttlesford District Council ready to be signed and officially agreed.

She said: "Hopefully this will come as good news for all the residents and we can begin installing them very soon."

She explained that the delay had been due to legal issues and agreeing a final design.

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