ANGRY residents have demanded that community facilities in Jasmine Park blocked off to the public are re-opened as soon as possible.

The play area at Jasmine Park, near Whirley, was closed for more than eight months after developer Taylor Wimpey shut it to deal with a ‘minor health and safety issue’.

But after residents – backed by The Express – launched a campaign it was eventually reopened in April.

Now residents say problems have resurfaced as other amenities at the site still remain out of use. A pair of all-weather football pitches and the Broken Cross Pavilion - which bears the date 2013 - are still closed more than a year after they were locked up.

In April a spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said they had agreed with the council a target date of June 30 for the completion of all the outstanding works. However, more than six weeks after the deadline they are still closed off.

Chris Andrew, Jasmine Park Homewatch coordinator, said: “It’s the same thing yet again. We were promised these facilities would be open by the summer so that football teams could be using the pitches for the start of the new season in September. That hasn’t happened.

“Taylor Wimpey has done a good job of doing the work – they’ve put more drainage in than I envisaged and everything looks ready to go. But it has taken far too long again, and now it will be too late for any football team to play on it in the coming season.

“There were a number of groups there that were all interested in investing in it, and I’m hopeful that we can all work together and make it a real community space. But before that we need them open. We cannot let this go on for too long.”

He added: “The stone even says 2013 on it which is a joke.”

A spokesperson from Taylor Wimpey said that the company was working to complete any outstanding works.

He said: “The vast majority of the works are now complete on the football pitches and pavilion which we have invested in near to our Jasmine Park development. We are working closely with the council to resolve the final few outstanding issues in order to ensure the facilities can be opened as soon as possible.

“We are yet to finalise a precise handover date with the council, however all parties involved believe that late September should be achievable. Once this handover has been completed, it will be up to the council to officially open the new facilities to the public.”

A Cheshire East Council spokesman said: “Taylor Wimpey still have work to complete on the site before it is handed over to the council.

“Although the site may look ready, there are important quality and safety checks that still need to be made to the pavilion.

“We anticipate that works at the site will be completed by early autumn.”