A LONG-AWAITED health and safety report called for by East Hampshire District Council officers has indicated that the kickabout area on the troubled Ramshill estate is safe to use as a public open space.

But the news has come too late for Drum Housing, which hoped to stage a family fun day on the land beside Kingsfernsden Lane in September.

Community officers at the association, which has affordable homes on the estate, say the event will have to be reorganised, with Churcher's College being a possible location. 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 recreational space for youngsters.

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

And currently the area, in the north east corner of the 276-house estate, is fenced off from residents while, it is claimed, grass is allowed to grow.

Josephine Roberts, Drum's customer focus manager, said: "It is getting extremely close to the event. For numerous reasons, and amongst those the uncertainty over how the land is to be used, the plan is probably going to be changed.

"All we want at the end of the day is for people on the estate to get to know one another." According to the newly-released health and safety report, EHDC had written to Bryant Homes' consultants, WPS Developers, with concerns "as to why the infiltration basin open space (IBOS) may not be suitable as an informal kickabout area".

The report addressed the frequency of flooding and overall health and safety issues. It concluded that the residual risk of someone drowning was very low. The risk of vehicles overturning, someone falling from the inlet structure or entering the outlet pipes was also found to be minimal.

But it did highlight the need to: "provide warning signs advising against use of open space during intense rainfall".

Tom Pollock of EHDC's planning department said the report would form part of the council's consideration when a decision on the matter was finally made.

And a site visit was due to take place today (Friday) which could yet decide the fate of the disputed plot of land.

"A risk assessment has been undertaken and we have got to consider this in the light of everything else," said Mr Pollock.

"There are various issues. Health and safety is one, but the area's usability is another. We are still liaising with the developers and we are taking our own health and safety advice as well."