Robin Southall has spoken out about the small recreational area on the Dawson Road estate just off Londesborough Road in Market Weighton.

Residents pay a fee to Greenbelt Group Ltd to maintain green areas.

Mr Southall says that the gardeners turn up only occasionally and few improvements have been made to the site, including the children's play area.

In addition, he is angry that the £85 annual cost he agreed to pay when he first moved there three years ago has rocketed, with his first annual bill costing almost £130.

The 28-year-old, who lives on Dawson Road with his girlfriend, said: "It was supposed to be a nice area when we moved in, something worth paying the annual management charge.

"But they've just dumped in the kids' equipment and it's not been looked after well.

"It seemed like an attractive proposition when we first moved here, but there is never anyone using it.

"Even if I had kids I wouldn't let them on the equipment, some of it is broken and rusting."

Mr Southall, who works for Phoenix Software in Pocklington, says he has written to the Scottish-based Greenbelt Group on a number of occasions, but said it either fails to reply or sends a very brief letter, often up to six months later.

He said that one woman on the estate launched a petition to lobby the firm for a better deal.

He said the most worrying aspect are the annual fees, fearing that the company could charge what it wants. There is also the issue of vandalism, with fears that repairs to the area would come out of the residents' pockets.

"It's getting to the point that the annual charge will work out to be about £20 a month, and for what?

"They must be making thousands of pounds. For that I'm sure people living around this area would cut the grass and make it look nice."

Greenbelt Group has defended its actions, saying it will listen to the views of the residents and work with them.

However, they said that for an improved children's play area, the residents could face a greater annual charge.

In addition, any vandalism inflicted on the area could also mean a hike in the fee to cover the costs.

A spokesman for the company said: "The land around the development is for the benefit of the residents and our duty is to keep it tidy and safe.

"We have done that since taking the site on a few years ago. The site has been well maintained and we are committed to doing this in the long term.

"We are more than willing to listen to the residents' views."