The future of a troubled Colchester playground could be discussed as an emergency item at a council meeting.

Members of St Anne's Consultative Forum agreed to write to Colchester Council asking for the Cabinet to discuss the matter urgently when it met last week.

Now they are hoping it will appear as an urgent item on the Cabinet agenda at tonight's (Monday's) meeting, at 6pm.

They made their decision following the results of a survey by Essex University into the concerns of St Anne's residents and what they would like to see done.

Mrs Lewis said they were now hoping Cabinet members would agree to write to the playground trustees saying the council takes responsibility for the site and its future.

She said there were some concerns about site safety. "We will be making some recommendations for the use of the land. A line has to be drawn under the past and we have to move on with the future, which will hopefully start today. We see this as a positive move," she said.

The council decided to close the causeway playground after an Essex University survey found it might not be the most effective way of meeting the estate's needs.

But the St Anne's Adventure Playground Committee tried unsuccesfully to get new members in a bid to relaunch itself and begin fundraising to get the playground going again.

By Lauren Spurgeon

Reporter's e-mail: lauren_spurgeon@thisisessex.co.uk

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