A petition against a �50,000 scheme to transform a rundown site near Lowestoft into a community play area has been handed over by people living nearby.

A petition against a �50,000 scheme to transform a rundown site near Lowestoft into a community play area has been handed over by people living nearby.

Suffolk County Council has secured a government grant to turn the hard court area between Morton Road and St George's Road in Pakefield into an open access play and social area with areas for ball games, a seating area and goals.

But neighbours have said that the hard courts were closed in 2005 because they became a hub of antisocial behaviour and now they are worried that the same thing will happen again.

A 90-name petition was yesterday handed in at Suffolk County Council's offices in Lowestoft, signed by residents who claim the county council has not properly consulted them about plans to have open access to the site.

Rosemary Eastwood, of St George's Road, said that while 90 people had signed against the proposals, only four had registered their support for unsupervised play.

She said: 'We don't feel that this site is suitable to be unsupervised because it is in between houses. We're in favour of children having somewhere to play, but we want it to be appropriate for the area, and supervised.'

Waveney MP Bob Blizzard, who has been supporting residents, said: 'Suffolk County Council have not yet tested whether residents would be in favour of unsupervised access. I am going to ask the county council to either consult with people living nearby, or else to withdraw their proposals.'

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said that a meeting was held with residents on Thursday night, at which people spoke both for and against proposals to upgrade the play area with unsupervised access.

He said that unsupervised access would not be 24 hours a day, but would be at times agreed between children and residents.