A CHILDREN’S play area will be built in the Marsden area of Nelson by next April, a councillor has promised.

Residents in the area have been campaigning for several years for a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) to be built around Marsden Hall Road.

Two months ago, 221 residents signed a petition calling for one to be erected on land near to a community centre in the area.

Pendle Council officers were assigned to do a feasibility report, but produced the report for the wrong patch of land.

Campaigners criticised the council for the report at the Nelson Committee meeting on Monday, but have now been told that a final decision on where to place the MUGA will be made next month, and it will be built by April.

Coun Mohammed Iqbal said: “We should be collectively ashamed as a committee that children have had to put pen to paper to write to us and ask for play facilities in their area.

“We will get it up and running by next April. By next month we will have firm proposals on the table and will commit to getting the MUGA built.”

Campaigner Amanda Smith said: “There is nothing for children to do on the estate, they are getting brought home by police just for having a game of football or for playing on scooters because they are having to do it in the street.

“These are not bad kids, they just need somewhere to play.”

Another campaigner, Azhar Ali, said: “This has been going on for a long time, the residents are desperate for the MUGA so that children have somewhere to play.”