NAILSEA town councillors are about to sign on the dotted line to preserve a recreational area in the town for future generations. Nailsea Town Council owns most of the Grove Playing Fields, but in 2000, it started exploring the possibility of buying 3.75a

NAILSEA town councillors are about to sign on the dotted line to preserve a recreational area in the town for future generations.Nailsea Town Council owns most of the Grove Playing Fields, but in 2000, it started exploring the possibility of buying 3.75acres of land at the northern end of the open space.Town councillors are keen to make the purchase to ensure the land, which is owned by the Martyrs Memorial Trust and leased to Nailsea Playing Fields Association, remains available for community use. Last September, five years after negotiations began, church leaders and town councillors expressed frustration that legal issues had delayed the sale of the land, but were hoping it would soon change hands.Ten months later, Nailsea Town Council is expecting to hand over £95,000 within the next few weeks and become the legal owner of the land.Nailsea Town Council's clerk, Ian Morrell, said: "We've had the contract through from solicitors with regard to the purchase of the land at the Grove Playing Fields. Town councillors have agreed to accept the contract on the terms that had been negotiated."It's been a very long process, but our solicitor is writing to the trust to confirm that we wish to press ahead with the purchase, and in the next few weeks we'll exchange contracts and complete the deal."The purchase of the land will meet the council's objective, to ensure that it should continue to be used for recreational purposes.