A SOUTH Walney neighbourhood group has taken new steps towards saving a patch of land for community recreational use.

After their first meeting, residents of Empress Drive and Mikasa Street alongside councillors formed a committee to save a small area of walled grassland at the southern end of their roads – known locally as “the Celtic”.

The group has now taken new steps towards saving the land by creating a campaign called Save Our Celtic, which is now on Facebook.

For decades the land has been a green haven on which children play and it has come to be regarded as an important part of the local environment.

The land is owned by water company United Utilities who decided to put it up for public auction, but have agreed to delay the December 6 auction while families look at the prospect of securing it as a community asset.

Concerned at this development, families enlisted the support of local Labour councillors Frank Cassidy, Helen Wall and Colin Thomson – along with MP John Woodcock who wrote to United Utilities asking for the public auction to be postponed.

At Tuesdays meeting Cllr Cassidy said: “It’s always difficult to be certain about how things like this might turn out but we remain hopeful.

“The Empress Drive and Mikasa Street community has really come together in a common purpose and we are going to do everything we can to keep the Celtic as a community asset.

“We have set up a Facebook group, we have contacted a local solicitor who has agreed to act for us and a petition is being organised.”

Mr Woodcock will press the case for the land to be sold – or donated – to the community when he meets United Utilities representatives in mid-January.

Cllr Cassidy added: “I think we should acknowledge the fact that United Utilities is trying to be a good neighbour. There are issues with contamination because an old septic tank lies beneath the surface of the land.

“There is some data relating to this, but it is historic and unreliable, so a new survey is being carried out and things will be a bit clearer once that information is available.

“There is a massive buzz within the community for securing this land for local families to enjoy for years to come and we are giving it our best shot to make that happen.”

Anyone interested can visit their Save Our Celtic campaign on Facebook or call 0797 407 8814.