THE chairman of Oxford City Council’s north east area committee accused me of being contentious (Oxford Mail, letters, March 3). Well, I’ve had to be in order to get across important issues which the people of Marston and Old Marston have requested.

In particular, I would like to make a point about the lights in Croft Road recreation ground, which I have mentioned several times. It is this issue which forced me to go, with a petition of 1,240 names, to Downing Street last September.

The funding was there then and is still there now.

I have been campaigning for these lights since 2007 and I was told at the time that the cost would be £30,000 for the lights and £600 per annum for maintenance.

In 2009 this scheme was agreed and Roy Darke was quoted in the Oxford Mail: “The lights will definitely be going ahead, but it’s more likely to be in the autumn or winter now”.

Now we are into 2011 and there is still no sign of the lights. This is an important health and safety issue and, most interesting of all, the land is owned by Oxford City Council and not the county council.

So don’t keep us in the dark, let us have lights in the park.

Our area committee meetings are an important means of accountability to the public and it’s important to keep them.

Can I suggest that they are held on alternative months to save money?

MICK HAINES, Croft Road, New Marston, Oxford