There are fears for the future of a Holbeach play area which was due to be refurbished.
The Hall Hill Road site is owned by South Holland District Council and there is money in the bank to provide new equipment.
But the parish council has been trying to secure a lease for 18 months in order to release the cash to install the play equipment – including a football wall.
Friends of Holbeach Parks has been asking for the lease to release the funding. The organisation needs a minimum of 15 years to make the project viable.
Parish council chairman and South Holland District Council member Paul Foyster said he was concerned the site may be sold-off.
He asked the full council why it had taken more than a year-and-a-half to consider the request to replace the ‘defunct’ play equipment.
“There would have been no cost to South Holland District Council and, to try and speed up their decision-making process, Holbeach Parish Council had agreed to take over maintenance of the site and new equipment,” said Mr Foyster.
“Meanwhile, the funding for the equipment (raised without using parish rates, thanks to Friends of Holbeach Parks with some of it also coming from 106 funding), sits in the parish bank account doing very little,” he added.
The district council issued a statement, repeating what portfolio holder Christine Lawton told members of the full council at the end of last month.
“Officers have been in discussions with the parish council concerning the potential for the installation of play equipment in the Hall Hill Road area of the town.
“These initial discussions have focused on matters including the potential long-term leasing of council owned land to a third party.”
“Prior to making a long-term commitment concerning any council asset, such as the granting of a lease, it is standard practice for the council to give consideration to the potential short, medium and long term implications of such a decision.
“Consequently, ahead of making any long term decisions, officers within the council’s strategic property team are exploring the potential future operational and strategic value of the site to the council. This work is under way and will be concluded by the end of February.”
But Mr Foyster said he felt it did not take 18 months to sort the issue, unless there was ‘another agenda’ for its future.
He added that the ‘prime building site’ would accommodate around a dozen bungalows.
Much of the old play equipment has been removed and there is at least £13,000 in the bank to help redevelop the area.
“It can’t take the council so long to deal with the issue. The officers are more efficient than that,” said Mr Foyster.
