Six foot high fencing plans for Nailsea primary school

A Nailsea head teacher has said he cannot ‘guarantee the safety of the children’ in his care without installing a security fence around his school.

Head teacher Kevin Lynch told Nailsea town councillors he fears for pupil safety because of the number of people who wander onto the site throughout the school day.

The popular 440-pupil Golden Valley Primary School is surrounded on three sides by playing fields with open views across to the Mendip Hills.

Along the other side runs a bridleway which is owned by Nailsea Town Council and leads to Golden Valley Veterinary Hospital.

Mr Lynch told the planning and environment committee said he had been looking with the governors at installing fencing around the school.

Two other schools in Nailsea have already installed security fencing.

But councillors were as horrified with the latest proposal which would encase an undulating green field with six foot high metal railings as they had been at the previous planning application from the Pound Lane schools.

Despite a petition from neighbours a 2.4m high security fence was installed at Kingshill C of E Primary School and Ravenswood Special School in 2005.

At the time Kingshill chair of governors Lynn Franklin told the town council ‘this is to ensure the safety of the children and our insurance company recommends that vulnerable sites are protected by fencing’.

And Ravenswood chair of governors Janet Midda said ‘currently a lack of secure fencing…puts the children at extreme risk’.

Building a fence around Golden Valley will cost thousands and thousands of pounds which would pay for ‘an awful lot of books’ said councillor Anita Heappey.

Mr Lynch said the school was became a haunt for vandals who have repeatedly daubed graffiti on a storeroom and caused damage by climbing on the flat roof.

Dog walkers, cyclists and horse riders frequently disturb outdoor lessons and sporting activities and ignore polite requests from teachers to move away, he told the meeting.

The single-storey Nailsea Park primary school was built 35 years ago.

The building became more exposed in 2003 when temporary classrooms which shielded on one side from the bridlepath were removed when a large extension was completed.

Councillor Phil Barclay questioned ‘impinging’ on people’s rights if a barrier was installed along the bridlepath which is a public-right-of-way.

Councillor Liz Frappell said: “It will look like Stalag 21.

“I was against the security fencing they have installed at Kingshill and Ravenswood.”

Council chairman Rod Lees said he was ‘totally opposed’ to the idea of fencing which would make the school look like ‘a concentration camp’.

He said: “I know the safety of children is sacrosanct but the residents of nearby Oaksey Grove will be up-in-arms.”

Mr Lynch said: “It is a beautiful site but it isn’t about ascetics it is about the safety of children and we can’t guarantee the safety of our children.”

Mr Barclay added: “One of the delights of walking along the bridlepath is looking across to Golden Valley and seeing the children at play.

“It is regrettable that the safety aspect will probably outweigh environmental considerations if the school sought permission for the fencing.”

The councillors decided they would wait for a formal planning application before making a recommendation on the playing field which is partly owned by Nailsea School.

After the meeting Mr Lynch said the security fence proposals were only in the early stages and no consultation had yet been carried out with parents or local residents.

Mr Lynch said: "We have to look at the future and the need to improve security over the next couple of years.

"We do have a lovely outlook but we have to make sure the children are secure and safe at all times.

"Currently there is no visible boundary around the school.

"We do not want to turn the site into a fortress but at the moment we feel the school is very exposed.

"Our children are supervised at all times but currently we cannot stop people from walking onto the school site.

"It is important to stress that there have not been any incidents at the school with strangers in the grounds and the issue of fencing was raised as a result of a security review at the school.

"We raised the issue with Nailsea Town Council because we share the ownership of the wall that runs along the bridlepath.

"We are more than happy to discuss our plans with the community when they are more firmly established."