THE decision to spend up to £275,000 overhauling Maldon’s Promenade Park is further proof Burnham is “the poor relation”, according to residents.

Last week, the Standard revealed plans to build another play area, fencing for the amphitheatre and fund road and car park repairs and improvements. Vanessa Bell, of Station Way, said the cash flowing into Maldon dwarfed that being spent on Burnham’s parks.

She said: “It just feels like everything goes to Maldon. We are here in Burnham with one groundsman, who was meant to retire last year, who is supposed to look after our cemetery, our parks and all our green spaces by himself.

“We have had complaints about the state of the cemetery before with being overgrown and that is part of the reason why.

“It is because we have one man who is supposed to do it all and yet Maldon have got loads of people who take care of their green space, and are now getting more funding. Burnham constantly feels like the poor relation.”

The new play area would go next to the park’s maze, partly using developer’s cash from a nearby development. Vanessa added: “I am so fed up with it, we all are. It seems totally unfair. A huge amount of this is council money.

“I would far rather see it spent on making more people available to maintain our grounds.

“The outside gym equipment in Riverside Park is falling apart. There is a sign that has fallen in half and just been left.

“It is just looking tired and tacky now. There has been talk that we might be looking at hosting some events in Riverside Park, but the state it is in at the moment, that wouldn’t be possible.”

Brenda Harker, vice chairman of the council’s community services committee, said: “The works proposed in Promenade Park are partially a reinvestment of funds from the park itself

“ This will improve its visual appearance and allow it to better cope with the huge numbers of people who bring income to the area by visiting the park throughout the year.”