MEMBERS of a Skipton playground committee claim they have become Skipton Town Council's "scapegoat" and forced to shoulder criticism over poor facilities at Shortbank Road's recreation ground.

After almost two years, the Gulley Parkland Project has wound up its efforts to regenerate The Gulley claiming it received no help from the town council and had been hindered by it.

Secretary Fiona Parker said these sorts of playground committees were coerced into setting up with the promise of money, co-operation from the council and control of the playground's destiny.

She said: "Whatever we try to do we seem to hit opposition from Skipton Town Council."

The project group, like similar ones set up by the Regent Playground Challenge and the Broughton Road Association, was formed to help the council provide play equipment in recreation grounds.

At the moment the rundown recreation ground off Shortbank Road has one play unit with a slide.

Four committee members with a list of 12 enthusiastic helpers signed the committee constitution nearly two years ago, agreed to draw up plans for the ground and even raise some of the money themselves.

Mrs Parker said she had hand delivered plans which included a toddler unit, seating, swings, springies and a football area, to the council office in March but had heard nothing in reply.

"We asked for the money which had been allocated to us to get the plans under way but we have had no response."

The committee group faced another set back when it managed to secure a donation of some trees from Craven District Council. "We wrote to Skipton Town Council to ask if we could have them and just came across 'we have to take it to another committee'.

"By the time they got back to us it was too late to plant them," said Mrs Parker. "We just feel that we keep hitting a brick wall."

Fed up with having to keep telling other residents that nothing had been done, members decided to wind up the group. "Residents are saying 'what are you doing?' and all we can say is that we are waiting. We don't want them to think it is us because it isn't."

She added that the committee group had worked hard, getting rid of litter and debris, and a group of men from probation service had also done lots of clearing up.

Coun John Binns said he was "bitterly disappointed" that the group felt it had to be wound up.

He added that the group had been treated no differently to other committees like the Regent Playground Challenge and the Broughton Association, which had made their scheme a success.

Coun Binns said: "We have asked for meetings with them and they have not replied."

The council had allocated £7,000 to the ground, but it will not hand over the money until it has seen detailed and finalised plans complete with costings from play equipment manufacturers.

Coun Binns added that the council was exasperated that the money was being held for the recreation ground and could not be spent. He added that the situation would be investigated and that correspondence was being looked at to see where the problems arose.