PARENTS and their children have been left furious after a developer fenced off two pieces of land which youngsters have been using to play on for decades.

Taylor Wimpey has put up metre-high gated wire fencing on the fields close to Denham Close and Trinity Close in Wivenhoe last week, which are popular areas for children to play after school.

The developer owns both parcels of land and has had plans for a detached house on each thrown out by Colchester Council last year because the proposals would have encroached on open space and harmed the appearance of the areas.

Taylor Wimpey has launched an appeal against both of the decisions which will be heard together by a planning inspector on March 8.

Wivenhoe town councillor Andrea Luxford Vaughan said residents have been left enraged about the fencing.

She said: “It is really provocative. Why would they do it?

“I really don’t understand their logic because all it does is wind up local people.

“Initially the kids were delighted because they thought the nice men had come along and given them goalposts.”

Mrs Luxford Vaughan believes it is crucial the land is kept as a green space because it has used for that purpose for decades.

She said: “Taylor Wimpey say it has never officially been designated as open space but there are always kids playing on there.

“There are pictures from 20 years ago of people playing there.

“They claim they can do this because they own the land but residents are understandably very angry they have done this in advance of the hearing.

“Wivenhoe Town Council is firmly against this.”