A SEVEN-year saga over lights in a community park appears to be at an end after extra cash was approved for the project.

Oxford City Council revealed it expects the lights to be installed in Marston’s Croft Road recreation ground by the end of next month after a seven-year wait.

The plans have been part of a joint venture between the city council and Oxfordshire County Council to revamp the recreation ground.

If the work goes ahead it would mean the end of a project which was first proposed in 2007, according to independent city councillor for Marston Mick Haines.

He said: “It has been a long and hard struggle but people will really appreciate it. Marston has been left behind for many years. We have been seeing other places getting these things done but this is a step in the right direction.

“A lot of people said they would never go in so I’m pleased that those people have been proved wrong.”

Plans to install the lights in July 2009 were scuppered when residents complained about the size of the 16-feet-high posts and how close they were to homes.

In 2010, Mr Haines delivered a petition signed by 1,205 people to 10 Downing Street in an attempt to move the project forward.

Last year the county council installed a new cycle path in the park, but the city council is in charge of installing the 12 lights to illuminate the path and the playground.The work will cost £32,000.

City council spokesman Chofamba Sithole said delays acquiring the land and funding problems had held the project up.

He said: “As with any construction project, there is always potential risk of the timeline changing as a result of external factors that may affect the final delivery date, but we do not at this point anticipate any significant delay.

“We have worked hard with officers and members to facilitate release of funding.”

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