ANGRY parish councillors have warned a popular children’s play area could be “closed and built on” after town hall bosses revealed they want to increase the rent for the site.

Lawford Parish Council has spent £82,000 maintaining and up- grading Riverview play area, in the village’ s Colchester Road, over the past ten years.

The council took over the lease of the playing field in 1992 and was charged £1 for the privilege.

That figure has gradually increased to today’s cost of £250 a year.

But Tendring Council now wants to increase the annual sum to £2,000.

David Ashley, chair man of Lawford Parish Council, said the parish could not afford this increased rate and would be forced to give up its lease on the land.

“We cannot afford to pay that,” he said.

“We are already paying on an annual basis to provide equipment, maintain the area and cut the grass.

“In the last ten years we have spent £82,000 on that sort of stuff alone .

“If we accept this lease, in a way we are paying a huge amount to Tendring Council to cut our own grass – which is unfair .”

Mr Ashley added: “They can take the land back, but they said they wouldn’t necessarily maintain it.

“It would potentially be finished as an open area and could become anything at all – it could even be built on.We could purchase the land if Tendring Council was willing to sell it and there is public support for that idea.”

Mr Ashley described the land as extremely popular and said the parish council was vehemently op- posed to any option, except keep- ing it as an open space .

“It’s right next door to Highfields Primary school,” he said.

“The car park is used by parents and is very useful, the play equipment is always busy after school and the goalposts are always popular for football.

“The funds to buy the land are available and we should be able to raise that money if the public are willing to support the idea.

“The cost of purchasing the land would be much cheaper than the £46,000 we would have to pay over the next 30 years for the lease.”

Nigel Brown, the district council’s communications manager , said it had been discussing the issue of Riverview play area with the parish council.

“The parish council first requested that we gift them the space, but that was refused,” he said.

“They then stated that they were interested in buying the land and we are currently waiting for them to come back with a proposal which can be considered.”