RESIDENTS in Torfaen have welcomed a council u-turn following a short campaign to return a once "thriving" green back into a playing field.

New Inn residents said that a piece of land off Oak Tree Close was, in summer's past, filled with families and dog walkers, enjoying the space.

But concern was raised this year when Torfaen council stopped cutting the grass - designating it instead as meadow land.

Residents called on the local authority to cut it, and allow children to once again play on the area of land.

A petition was started and in a short time it collected over 50 signatures.

Now, Torfaen council has decided to cut the area following the pleas.

Councillor John Cunningham, executive member for neighbourhood services, said: “We have worked closely with the residents at Oak Tree Close and together we have identified another area, not widely used by the local community, to turn over to meadowland.

“This means that we keep the ecological benefits of the meadowland and the community will be able to use the open space as they have in the past.”

Resident Christine Lloyd, 76, said she welcomed the u-turn by the council, adding: “I’m just really happy that the local children will have somewhere to play over the summer holidays”.

She would like to thank all of the residents who supported the campaign.

As previously reported, Oak Tree Close resident, Wayne Gregory 47, said he has contacted the council on numerous occasions but feels he had “gone around in circles”.

He said: “I have lived here for 15 years and my children always used to play on there.

“Now there is nowhere nearby for the children to play.”

Ms Lloyd said: “The grass is that long you can’t even see a dog running through there and as people can’t scoop up as they can’t see it the area is now full of faeces.”

She said how the area was always filled with children as there were goal posts, a netball ring and seating - all of which were unusable.

Kate Nash, 30, said she used to take her four-year-old son there.

“We would go there and kick a ball around and he loved it, but now we can’t as it is full of dog faeces,” she explained.

The field was also a favourite place of those living on nearby Poplar Avenue.

Resident Kim Leonard, 60, said: “It’s a shame as it was always well used by the community.”