Neighbours living in a Nottinghamshire estate spend hundreds of pounds on a park that is not 'well-maintained', a resident has claimed. Sophie Bilsbrough lives on the vast new-build estate which has transformed the former Rolls-Royce aerodrome land in Hucknall.
She described the area as "quite versatile" and "beautiful". However the downside is that she is charged more than £300 a year for the maintenance of Merlin Park.
She added: "I do not think it is really fair. Other people come to the area as well to use it.
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"It becomes destroyed by other users. We were told when we moved into the area that the price will be decreased as more peple will move here.
"But it has increased over the years. We go there every week - it is a beautiful area, but sometimes it is not well-maintained.
"Someone destroyed the fence - its is quite sad. It is such a beautiful area, it is a walking distance from Bulwell.
"There is lots for children to do. It is quite versatile - so it is sad really."
It comes after last year, more neighbours have told Nottinghamshire Live that the park was "poorly maintained" with broken play equipment. There were also claims that a concrete block covered in metal shards was also left on the grass.
Merlin Park Limited is ultimately owned by The Land Trust, a charity which was given the site in 2019 by developers of the site for a nominal amount of £1. The reason behind this price is related to the restrictions over the land whereby it has to be used for the benefit of the public.
A spokesperson for the Land Trust commented: "We are aware of residents’ concerns at Merlin Park and are working closely with them and the local MP for Sherwood, Mark Spencer to resolve these.
“A new contractor was appointed to the site at the start of May and is currently getting up to speed on getting the site to its best. The contractor is working to set KPIs and have schedule of works, including health and safety checks and general site maintenance. Our estates team also do weekly inspections of the site to make sure the work completed meets our standards.
“We have invoiced the residents £291.65 for the up-coming year. The Land Trust would like to reassure residents we are committed to addressing concerns at Merlin Park as soon as possible.”
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