Frustrated families on a new estate in Wantage can walk their children past a new play area, but can't use it even though it has been given the go-ahead by safety officials.

The swings and roundabout on the new Letcombe Park estate have been fenced off for months while the Vale of White Horse District Council and developers KingsOak Homes continue long talks over the formal handover of it and other public open spaces.

The council is supposed to take over maintenance of the open spaces but the two sides have yet to strike a financial agreement.

This week KingsOak apologised for the delay. A spokesman said it still had responsibility for the play area and was in negotiation with the council but was hoping to open it by the weekend.

Resident Rob Stafford said: "The bottom line is that the play area remains fenced off."

Despite the developers' explanation that their hands are tied because of red tape, parents who have moved on to the new development are disappointed they have been denied access to the play area.

The 150-home development at Letcombe Park was completed by the firm KingsOak which took over the development from Barratts.

But local resident Rob Stafford, who has had weeks of correspondence with local planners from the Vale of White Horse District Council as well as builders Barratts Homes, says he has been fobbed off time and again.

He said: "Ultimately we wrote to the managing director of KingsOak Homes, who first blamed the local authority, and then subsequently assured us that the play area would be opened again by the end of February.

"The bottom line is that the play area remains fenced off."

Mr Stafford insists that when Barratts was originally granted planning permission for the development, it was part of a Section 106 legal agreement that it would provide a children's play area on the site, which would then be adopted and maintained by the local authority.

He saId that one of the key selling point of the properties was that there would be a play area on the site, which would be constructed along with the rest of the development and would be ready for use by summer 2006.

He said: "The construction of the play area was completed in summer 2006 and it was opened for use.

"However, within weeks it was closed and fenced off, without explanation.

"This was a great disappointment to those families who had already begun to make good use of it."

The Vale of White Horse District Council contacted him in late January this year saying it would be prepared to take on open spaces on the new estate, including the play area, "on receipt of an appropriate commuted sum from the developer" which was still under discussion.

Mr Stafford said: "It is now months since since the play area should have been reopened and yet it remains fenced off.

"Having discussed the matter with the local authority we have been told that the fault lies with KingsOak, and that it could take months, if not years to rectify the legal problems. This is unacceptable."

Richard Cordy, managing director of KingsOak Thames Valley, said the company was currently in discussion with the Vale council regarding the formal handover of the play area.

He said: "In the meantime, we appreciate residents are keen for their children to start using the play area as spring approaches, and we are doing everything possible to try to have it ready for use from this weekend.

"However, we will only be able to open the play area once the necessary public liability insurance is in place, with the cooperation of the local authority.

"We apologise for the delay and hope the play area will be much enjoyed when it is finally opened."

A spokesman for the Vale council said although the new play area had been passed by inspectors from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, it was still in talks with the developers over various other open spaces on the estate and the commuted sum the council would eventually receive as a result.