COUNCIL managers have been criticised for building a £11,840 climbing frame – just yards from a busy road.

The rope-and-timber climbing frame at the Ladygrove estate is too close to Cow Lane and the Cow Lane tunnel, said South Oxfordshire district councillor Margaret Davies.

Temporary fencing around the new structure has already been trampled down. And the council has no plans to fence off the play area from the road.

A council officer said the play area would stay, as it should not move to the “middle of nowhere”.

Mrs Davies, leader of the council’s Labour group, said: “The new climbing frame is in completely the wrong place. It’s about ten yards from the road. It should be taken down.

“Young children are being put at risk because the climbing frame is alongside the road and there is no proper fence separating the two.

“Teenagers will congregate next to the climbing frame and that will create a threatening atmosphere for people walking through the subway.

“It’s a sound piece of equipment but it should be taken down and put up on another green space around the estate.”

Mrs Davies added: “I have got nothing against local youngsters, but when 20 or 30 are gathering it can make people feel vulnerable.”

Mother-of-two Diane Pollard, 42, of Rawthey Avenue, Ladygrove, said: “It is far too close to a busy road.

“There is a perfectly good park next to the football club. I think this money would have been far better spent on improving the road network in the area.”

Bill Service, cabinet member for leisure and tourism, and district councillor for Didcot Ladygrove, said: “Young people have to go somewhere and the equipment is near housing, so it is easily policed.

“The alternative would be to stick it in a field in the middle of nowhere.

“Unfortunately, fencing around the compound has been pushed down already, so you can’t win.”

It is part of a £395,000 council project for the four-kilometre Ladygrove Loop walking and cycling route around the estate.

The new facilities will include another play area at Tyne Avenue, improvements to existing play areas, ten new seating areas, new trees and two new exercise stations.

Martin Gammie, the council’s forestry and countryside manager, said: “Although there are no plans to fence off this area, chartered landscape architects have carefully designed the position of the playground, taking into account the health and safety aspects, so we are confident its location is safe to use.

“The climbing frame, which is part of a larger play area with fitness equipment, follows guidance from Play England, which gives best-practice advice for play provision.”