FLOODING problems on the massive new Ramshill housing estate at Petersfield may have left youngsters without the vital play area East Hampshire District Council planners were promised.

This week there has been a call for the developer to provide money for a public open space elsewhere in the town to compensate for its loss.

More than three years ago, Bryant Homes was given permission to go ahead with the huge estate on Ramshill. Included in the plans was a kickabout area for youngsters beside Kingsfernsden Lane.

But councillors claim that, without their knowledge, the area has now been turned into a balancing pond with huge tanks underneath it to hold surface water in times of heavy rainfall.

And there is grave concern that the area cannot now be used safely by the youngsters. The large area in the north eastern corner of the 276-house estate is now fenced off from residents while, it is claimed, grass is allowed to grow on the public open space.

Despite the long summer, part of the so- called "kickabout area" has been ankle deep in water after heavy rainfalls.

Drum Housing, which has affordable homes on the estate, said there is nowhere for youngsters to play.

In a bid to combat this, it is trying to organise a social event on the kickabout area. But so far it has been unable to get permission to use the land.

Now East Hampshire district councillors are to hold a site meeting on the estate with officers from the Environment Agency to see if it is safe to use the area for public open space, as well as a balancing pond.

The problem was highlighted in February this year by district councillor Brian Dutton, who wanted further plans for homes on Ramshill to be turned down after discovering the kickabout area had become a giant mudbath.

He told members of EHDC's south planning committee: "There are problems with drainage and this plan should be turned down until we have had a proper assessment of the risk of flooding."

This week, Mr Dutton told The Herald: "I am still of the opinion that this is not a suitable place for a kickabout area. Despite the drainage scheme, this long, dry summer has shown that there is still water in the balancing pond."

"I am concerned that in the winter if we have more rain like we have had this summer, it will become totally unacceptable as a kickabout area.

"I have long been of the opinion that the developers should provide finance through a 106 agreement for an open space somewhere else in Petersfield because this place is not suitable. Having had long service in the Royal Navy as a physical fitness instructor looking after sports grounds, I would never put a kickabout area in a balancing pond."

He added: "This is not the gently sloping piece of land that was supposed to be provided in the planning permission. Councillors were never told from the time permission was granted that this area had been turned into a detention basin. I feel very aggrieved about it."

It has since emerged that after plans for the original 276-home estate were granted in 2002, developers ran into problems with the Environment Agency.

In October 2003, following earlier correspondence, Philip Haley from the EA wrote to EHDC planning officer Jeremy Heppell telling him: "It is important to reiterate our concerns in relation to surface-water drainage proposals for the site."

By February last year, the developer's consultants, WSP, had come up with a new drainage scheme and in a letter to Southern Water, copied to EHDC planners and the Environment Agency, they were told the updated scheme for drainage included: "the open space re-profiled as a detention basin" to allow for the storage of surface water.

East Hampshire District Council was told that the majority of the open space would be freely available for use as an amenity space for most of the time: "There will however be a small level of storm water present at the lower section of the detention basin."

In April last year, EHDC planners wrote to WSP informing them that the council would not be adopting the public open space, including the area proposed for the drainage scheme, and a private management company would have to be set up with annual contributions from residents.

He asked that all new residents at Ramshill should be advised of the situation.

In April 2004, the environment officer for EHDC Roger Burton voiced his concerns about the drainage scheme, saying he did not believe the flood risk: "can be totally eliminated with this scheme".

He asked for a risk assessment and health and safety plan for the detention basin, adding: "It is possible the whole area may require security fencing."

This week, a spokesman for Drum Housing said the group was trying to organise a fun day to be held on September 4 on the open space, which was now behind fencing.

"There is an issue here," he said. "The summer holidays are here and the children have got nowhere to play. We are trying to get the space opened up but at the moment it seems that everyone is saying it is someone else's responsibility."

Sam James, deputy leader of EHDC, told The Herald: "We are trying as best we can to help Drum Housing with the event it is planning, but the land does not belong to EHDC and we therefore cannot give permission for its use.

He said a site meeting was planned at the end of August to discuss the drainage issues: "We are meeting the Environment Agency on the site to look at the drainage in detail. We will be taking its advice as to whether it would be suitable to have a dual use here with a balancing pond and a kickabout area."

The strategic manager for EHDC, Bill Price, said officers could see no reason why the fence should not be removed for the fun day: "We are making contact with Taylor Woodrow asking them to remove it for the event."

He said it was originally erected to allow grass to become established on the site.

Mr Haley, a manager with the Environment Agency, told The Herald: "Based on the information that has been submitted by the applicant's consultants, we have accepted the drainage scheme."

He said his department did not examine health and safety issues: "We just look at the drainage scenario. There is no reason why the detention basis could not be used as a play area.

"It is quite common to use areas that do flood as public open spaces. There are numerous sites that do fill with water when there is heavy rain. People have to appreciate they cannot use these areas when they are wet."

A spokesman from WSP for the developer was unavailable for comment when The Herald went to press.