Reader letter: Is Peterborough £200k fence justified

I today (Tuesday) attended the PCC Planning Committee to oppose a proposal to erect 220m of 2.4m (eight foot) high closeweld-mesh fencing to turn open public space at Werrington into enclosed school playing fields.The supposed justification is “safeguarding”, though by the admission of the school and the council themselves there have been no incidents to cause concern in 38 years.

I estimate that the cost is approaching £200,000 of city council funds.

No-one present queried the cost or whether this was good use of public money. Of course everyone wants children to be safe, but surely there should be – as with every other issue – an assessment of risk against cost of mitigating the risk?

No incidents for 38 years suggests any risk is absolutely tiny, whilst the cost (not to mention loss of publicly owned open space, soon to be imprisoned in huge ugly fencing) is significant.

For instance, the cost is almost half the cut in the Citizen’s Advice Bureau funding, to support our poorest citizens.

Tony Forster

By email