A mother of two young children urged Nursling and Rownhams Council's June meeting to do all in their power to provide a playground for young children.

She was told that, some years ago, the council shut the children's play area at St Boniface Park after extensive vandalism and complaints from nearby residents that it had become a focus for late-night disturbances caused by young people. The play area at the Nursling Street new housing development was shut down for similar reasons.

There is one small play area run by the Parish Council at Balmoral Way, but this is for older children.

Borough councillor, Nigel Anderdon, said they were exploring with Test Valley Borough Council the possibility of building a children's play area at the recreational open space near the new Scout hall, which would be an easier spot for the authorities to keep an eye on and had fewer homes nearby.

The cost of installing any new play area here would be met by developers.

Alan Bulpit said that a play area at St Mary's, Southampton, was surrounded by a fence and locked after dark. He suggested that a similar plan might work locally with keys to lock the gates being given to parents.

Chairman, Phil Bundy, said his council was sympathetic, but it was difficult to find equipment which would survive for more than six months and constant repairs at St Boniface park had cost £25,000 and the council had received an enormous number of letters of complaint from nearby residents.