SEYMOUR estate residents in Trowbridge say the town council’s promise to fix their neglected and dangerous local play area by next summer is not soon enough.

Wiltshire Council agreed to pay the town council £50,000 to take over the management of the remaining 24 play areas in the county town, just as complaints were rising over the authority’s failure to maintain them properly.

Although the town council said it will take them over before April, local residents say children have waited two years for the dilapidated Seymour Road play area to be fixed and that more months of waiting is not acceptable.

Janet Pimpernell, of Seymour Road, said: “You just need to look at it to see that it is in a dire state. It has been out of order for a long time and the fact that children have to wait even longer for it to be fixed is not good enough.

“I wish Wiltshire Council and the town council got this sorted earlier as there is broken glass on the basketball court, needles have been left behind by youths and there are always bottles of alcohol dumped here. They need to fix this place quicker as children are missing out.”

The town council has also pledged to use another £250,000 over the next five years, £100,000 of which will come from Section 106 developer agreements, to bring the play areas up to scratch and to maintain them.

Cllr Edward Kirk: “My residents in Seymour are not happy with the delay in takeover of these play areas.

“Children are missing the experience of outside play, as the Seymour play area and others have been out of action or unsafe for years. Although, I have received an assurance from the town clerk that the play areas will be back up and running within a year, I am not convinced this will be achieved.”

Treasurer of the Seymour Community Residents Association, Lesley Horne, said: “The slide is rusty and the steps are not safe as they are too big for little ones. But this is politics for you, it takes a long time to get things done.”

Trowbridge town clerk, Lance Allan, said: “The council has been working with Wiltshire Council for some time now to secure the future of the 24 play areas in the town which are currently managed by Wiltshire Council.

“A number of issues have arisen which have delayed the transfer but we are now making progress and expect them all to be transferred before the end of March 2018 with improvements made to bring them back up to scratch during the summer.

“Trowbridge Town Council is committed to ensuring that those things which are local and valued by the local community are cared for locally.”