A THREE-YEAR wait for playgrounds on a Dunmow housing estate is set to end after developers bowed to pressure to honour a contract agreement. Residents of Woodlands Park estate have been deprived of two play areas that should have been installed on Willow

A THREE-YEAR wait for playgrounds on a Dunmow housing estate is set to end after developers bowed to pressure to honour a contract agreement.

Residents of Woodlands Park estate have been deprived of two play areas that should have been installed on Willow Road when the houses were completed in 2005.

Developers Estuary Housing blamed the delay on failing to agree contracts with planners at Uttlesford District Council and failing to agree the best final designs.

However, the designs have now been drawn up and the project has been paid for - building work is due to start on the largest of the areas in the next three weeks.

This has come as great relief to Dunmow Town Council which has been relentlessly trying to drive through the proposals on residents' behalf.

Deputy town clerk, David Green, said: "We have been advised in the last week that the work is about to start. We hope that the developers and Uttlesford District Council stick to the timetable because the new areas are really needed by the local residents.

"We have had a number of complaints about the lack of facilities for younger children. Hopefully this will calm residents' anger."

Situated between the sections of affordable housing, the two areas are currently overgrown with grass and have become a dumping ground for crisp packets, bottles and shopping trolleys.

Mr Green said that the town council had come up with plans for the developers to use over 18 months ago, but they had been ignored.

Estuary Housing communications officer, Joanne Jones, said: "Our representatives went down to the site in March and we spoke to residents to find out exactly what they wanted. After looking at diagrams all was agreed and we are delighted that things are going ahead."

She added that additional costs would be needed to provide the second play area, due to be installed 500-metres from the first, and added that the company will be actively searching for funding during the construction of the first play area.

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