New challenge as Peterborough City Council moves ahead with fencing plans for school land at Werrington Fields

Peterborough City Council is proposing that a 1.8 metre high security fence is put up to enclose an area the size of eight football pitches at Werrington Fields for sports use by a school.

And council officials have emphasised that planning permission is not needed to put up the fence that will ensure safeguarding for pupils of Ken Stimpson Academy during sports lessons.

The local authority says it is currently in discussions with the school about the type of fencing that could be used to enclose the area, which has been accessible to the public for more than 40 years.

The action comes after members of the council’s ruling cabinet agreed that fencing off the land was the best way to end a six year dispute with residents over use of the land and that a 125 year lease on the land should be agreed with the secondary school.

But the council is set to face a new challenge after Werrington First councillors announced they are ‘calling in’ the decision that will mean it will have to be reviewed.

Following the cabinet decision, a council spokesperson said: “Our next steps are that we agree with the school on the fence to be installed.

"We are proposing a 1.8 metre green security weld mesh fence of a standard type for schools.

“Planning permission will not be sought.”

According to documents presented to the meeting, planning approval is not needed because permitted development rights allow a six-foot fence – about 1.8 metres - to be put up on land that does not front a highway, which is the case with the site at Werrington Fields.

But the move to has been opposed by many residents who say public access to the land is vital to the physical and mental wellbeing of many nearby residents.

In a statement Werrington Councillors John Fox, Judy Fox and Sarah Hillier say: “This week, we have submitted a ‘call-in’ request.

"This request will be reviewed by a legal officer and if they agree with us, the Cabinet’s decision will undergo the cross-party scrutiny process.

“We feel decisions, such as the significance of a decision on Werrington Fields, should be considered by the full Council, not just Cabinet members of a single political Party.”

A council spokesperson said: “The call-in request will now go before a joint meeting of Children and Education Scrutiny and Growth, Resources and Communities Scrutiny on Friday 2 August at 10am.

“The scrutiny committee will consider the call-in request and the reasons for it. It may decide to take no further action, in which case the decision stands. It may refer the decision back to Cabinet for reconsideration. Or, if it considers that the decision is outside the council’s Budget and Policy Framework, it may refer the matter to the Council.

Three councillors must sign the call-in request. Councillors John Fox, Sarah Hillier and Christian Hogg made the request and the council's Monitoring Officer Neil McArthur has decided that the request is valid.

A call-in is a key element of the scrutiny function and it relates to the right of members to call-in for examination an executive decision that has been made but not yet implemented.