Parents are demanding answers about a park that’s been closed for eight months, leaving children with nowhere to play near their homes.

Developer Crest Nicholson shut Baker Crescent park in Dartford for refurbishment in April, so residents have had to take youngsters one-and-a-half miles down the road to Dartford Heath.

Since then the area has been a no-go area for children, many of whom live in flats or houses with tiny gardens and who have been bugging their parents to walk them the 25 minutes to the closest open space.

Even more frustratingly, the fenced-off park backs onto a large school playing field where the youngsters can see other children running around and playing.

Kim Williams, who has two boys Lawrence, six, and Oliver, eight, says they have had enough.

“The boys came every weekend until it closed,” she said. “Now they have to go far away so they can’t go on their own.

“We need it open. The kids can’t cope. They keep asking every weekend.

“Through the summer it was absolute hell.”

Yasmin Jackson has two sons Ralph, six, and Louis, three.

She said it was a really popular park before it was cordoned off.

“There was someone there every day,” she said. “I go there with my little son after I’ve dropped my eldest at school and use it three or four times a week.

“The children loved playing on the equipment or kicking a ball around with their friends from the street.

“Most people either have a very small garden or don’t have a garden at all so they used it to play football or have a picnic. It wasn’t just to use the equipment.”

Councillor Drew Swinerd, who used to live opposite the park with his three-year-old son Laurie, has been helping the residents get answers.

“Crest Nicholson owns this play area,” he said. “When they were originally granted planning permission for the development, one of the conditions was that they put in place and maintain a play or recreational area.

“They have clearly neglected the park as they had cause to close it in April citing health and safety concerns.

“They carried out some works and did some landscaping and told us that it would be ready for mid-September. However, that came and went.

“They evidently did not do a thorough job assessing the apparatus as a resident pointed out at the beginning of October that the seesaw handle was still very sharp at a young child’s eye level.

“The play area had also become overgrown again and has obviously become more so since then – moss/algae is present and fungus is growing between the gaps in the playground floor.

“Further to that the perimeter fence has been breached for more than a month and not been repaired, despite this being made clear to them.”

He added: “Crest Nicholson have cited issues with contractors. However, I have been on at them for more than a year now about putting the play area in proper order.

“No play area should take a year to sort out; and certainly no play area should take eight months to reopen.

“I think that it shows a lack of competence on the part of Crest Nicholson and a disregard on their part for the obligations they have.

“In the time that Crest Nicholson have been prevaricating about Baker Crescent play area, the council, in contrast, built one of the UK’s largest play spaces (Buccaneer Bay) in just a few months and is delivering an extensive programme of play space improvements across Dartford.

“The council redeveloped Wilmot Park play area in just five weeks over the summer.

“If the council can achieve this with its play areas, then why can’t Crest Nicholson reopen just one?”

A Crest Nicholson spokesperson said: “We take the safety of our playgrounds very seriously and this is why the playground was closed.

“Once it is safe, we will reopen this for the community to enjoy again.”