- Target:
- Peterborough City Council
- Region:
- United Kingdom
Peterborough City Council Children’s Services Dept, on behalf of Longthorpe Primary School, seek to erect a security fence enclosing most of the recreational field adjacent to the school. The proposal is shown on a drawing included with their planning application for some building extension works at the school.
The application can be seen on the City Council website at www.peterborough.gov.uk/planning_and_building/planning_and_building_online.aspx (you have to accept the Copyright notice then enter Bradwell Road in the search box which appears).
The area which would be enclosed is approximately 1.2 hectares (nearly 3 acres), which is a significant proportion of the open green space available to local residents of Netherton, Longthorpe and South Bretton. Approximately 1500 people live within 10 minutes walk of the field. The field is particularly valuable to residents as a space for casual and organised sports, being the only local area having reasonably flat ground, being unobstructed by trees and being broad enough that sports do not impinge on neighbouring houses.
Local inhabitants have enjoyed unrestricted access to the field ever since the surrounding estates were developed over 30 years ago. The field is well used for many recreational purposes at all times of year and by all members of the community, young children, youths and adults alike.
As intended in planning of the area, the field is also used by Longthorpe school, weather and timetable permitting; they use it for sports and in summer lunch breaks. The school claim their intent now to fence off the field is to better safeguard their pupils, who may otherwise be exposed to dog mess and to the risk of abduction. The originator of this petition believes the school’s concerns are exaggerated and that any potential problems can be overcome by supervision of children on the field, as happens at present and has been effective in the past. This approach has meant that joint use of the field by school and local inhabitants has taken place harmoniously and without problem for over 30 years.
We the undersigned call upon Peterborough City Council to abandon any proposal for enclosure of the field next to Longthorpe Primary School.
We believe that enclosure would damage the distinct local identity of the neighbourhood, which deliberately has an open aspect throughout as planned and landscaped by the former Development Corporation. The principle of open aspect is enshrined across the neighbourhood by covenants in property title deeds, included in the interests of all neighbours and users of the area. We believe enclosure is contrary to Planning Policy DA1 and may be contrary to land covenants similar to those applicable to local house owners.
The currently proposed fencing would enclose approximately 1.2 hectares of the field. We believe this large loss of accessible green space, openly enjoyed by local inhabitants for more than three decades, would have a severe adverse impact on community recreational facilities for children and adults alike. In respect of landscaped areas and open space we believe the proposed enclosure is contrary to Planning Policies DA10 and LT3.
We have noted reasons given in support of field enclosure but are of the opinion that permanent exclusion of local residents is a disproportionate response to the school’s concerns. Instead we would like the school to have use of the field but openly shared with the local population, as has been the case since the Netherton and Longthorpe estates were developed over thirty years ago.
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The No enclosure of Longthorpe field petition to Peterborough City Council was written by David Worth and is in the category Neighborhood Living at GoPetition.