Park's summertime blues

The eight-foot high structure was put up last week between the houses in Dorset Close and the neighbouring Rosemead Open Space.

It leaves the children tantalisingly close to their play park, which is clearly visible through the fence's metal bars, but facing a trek along busy roads to get there.

Now, many of their parents have told them that they can't make that journey alone and so won't be able to play in the park, or football on the field, unless they are accompanied.

But with no ball games allowed in the close itself, the children are left with virtually nowhere to play outside, not a nice prospect with the school summer holidays just around the corner.

Housing association Southern Horizon which runs the close told the Gazette when the estate was first built in 1995 it was originally enclosed with a wooden fence.

Over the years this fence was vandalised, set on fire and torn down on a number of occasions and had to be replaced several times.

It said following consultation with the police it was felt a fence would help to control anti-social behaviour at the park and in the area and that the new fence is designed to keep the close secure and to protect a listed flint wall behind the boundary with Rosemead.

The company added there was no right of way across the boundary and it had no intention to grant one.

But parents are fuming at the situation which has left their children stranded from the huge play area just yards from their homes.

Elizabeth Dynan, who lives in the close with her two sons aged eight and two, said: "I think it's disgusting what they've done.

"The poor kids can see the park through the fence but they can't get there without walking along the roads, and they can't do that on their own.

"If the housing association had put an access gate in, it would be ok because then the kids could use it.

"If they are worried about security then they could issue us with keys so we could lock it ourselves.

"I thought that Rosemead was for everyone to use but obviously it's not for us.

"They are more concerned about a flint wall than where our children can play"

Another Dorset Close resident, Kirsten Connolly, said her 13-year-old daughter used to take a shortcut to Littlehampton Community School across Rosemead but now faced a longer walk.

"I'm not very pleased with what's happened," she said.

"Two months ago my son broke his arm when he fell off the climbing frame in the park.

"Luckily he could get back home quickly and we took him to hospital but if there was an accident now it would take much longer for us to get there.

"I hope that the housing association reconsider and put a gate in for us to use so that our children can still use the park that they have grown up with."