Kids living in a new estate have been left to peer longingly at a park through metal fencing at the start of the summer holidays.
The new play area in Overstrand Way, Sprowston is in an area where hundreds of homes have been built in recent years by developers Persimmon, Hopkins and Taylor Wimpey.
Jane, who asked for her surname not to be used, bought her house in November 2021 because it was near a park but is still waiting for her two-year-old to enjoy it.
She said: “We literally avoid walking past it because we know our daughter will scream to go in and she can’t.
"It’s the summer holidays and they are just tormenting kids.”
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Karlie Aldous has lived in the estate for two years and felt much the same. The mum said: “We thought it would be done by now, especially as it is the summer holidays and people are looking for things to do.
“It would be so handy to know there was a park at the end of the road I could take them to, but there's been no communication about when it might be done.”
Alex Madeley, who is a teacher in the area, recognised that it would be nice if the park were ready for children.
She added: “There are lots of things including the park that are full of weeds and overgrown, we all pay a maintenance fee, but maintenance doesn’t seem to be happening, or is at least happening very slowly.”
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Dawn Mann said:” We are the same, we have children who want to make use of the park that we were told would be here.
“There is so much that people are angry about. There is another park in the estate that my family and I walked to only to find it is in a similar state to this one.”
Sprowston Town Council chairman Bill Couzens has been working to get the space open with councillor Judy Leggett, who is also the chairwoman of the council's recreational facilities working group.
Bill said: “We have been working hard since the beginning of the year, together with Broadland District Council and Sprowston Town Council officers to get all the open spaces open.
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“Following the May elections new town and district councillor Martin Booth has also increased the pressure on the developers, and we secured a commitment that the play area at Overstrand Way and the playing field behind the school would all be ready and open before the summer holidays.
“However, the developers were extremely late clearing the areas and seeding them which has delayed the expected opening date.
“The revised opening date for all three areas is now ‘mid-August.”
On behalf of the consortium of developers working on the area, a spokesman for Persimmon Homes said: “We have been working closely with Sprowston Town Council to deliver the new play park and are hoping to open it in mid-August, if not sooner, subject to a final safety inspection.
“We recognise that residents want to use this new facility as soon as possible so we’re working at pace to ensure that children and families can enjoy the park for the rest of the summer.”
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