TWO play areas in St Peter’s will be ripped out as they have become too costly to maintain.

Play parks in Larkspur Close and Falcon Close are to be removed by Worcester City Council as part of an ongoing spending review, with the former being returned to a paved area while the latter will be grassed over.

The announcement made by Worcester City Council’s service manager for cleaner and greener, David Sutton, caused concern among the public gallery at the meeting of St Peter’s Parish Council on Monday.

Mr Sutton said: “For some time the council has been trying to manage the large number of play areas on a limited budget. Bits of equipment have come out and some have become run down. The budget the council had was not enough to maintain all these play areas as a perpetuity. All of them have a life in terms of use and wear.”

“It is always difficult to take out play areas as there are often families and young children nearby that use them. But there’s quite good provision close by in St Peter’s.”

Duncan Smith, of Falcon Close, said: “This was built primarily as a family estate – where will people on that side of St Peter’s go and play without crossing the road?”

Yvonne Pearce, of Falcon Close, said: “All the importance of getting off the sofa is being eroded by current standards of living. How can they develop if they can’t go anywhere without having to be crossed over the road?”

The city council owns 52 play areas across the city and they are reviewing the future of some of the older sites.

The removal of a playground in Howcroft Green, Warndon Villages, caused anger among residents last month, forcing the council to apologise and explore the possibility of Warndon Parish Council taking over responsibility for the site.

As part of the review, play parks in Aldersey Close, Old Tolladine Road, Weir Lane, Oaklands, Debdale, Swallowfields and Cromwell Crescent are either getting or have already undergone revamps. Elsewhere, £55,000 has been earmarked on a new play area for Dines Green, which currently doesn’t have one.

Three new play areas are also on the way as part of the £220,000 overhaul of Fort Royal Park.