10ft fence around Trowbridge school's playground can stay

Back in January, Emmaus School in Staverton, near Trowbridge, applied for retrospective planning permission to keep a fence it had already erected around its playground.

But the independent, co-educational Christian school that provides education for five- to 16-year-olds and has a maximum capacity of 75 pupils, was denied planning permission by Wiltshire Council.

The fence was in two parts - a two-metre tall structure around the school building, extending to three metres around the playground.

The council said the three-metre fence was “disproportionate and harmful” and that its “harsh, utilitarian appearance (and) at odds with both the historic vernacular character.”

The council said it presented “a very harsh visual appearance that is incongruous with the rural vernacular and quaint character of the historic building and the low-density and the green suburban local essentially residential street character.”

The two-metre-high fence, by contrast, had a “far more appropriate relationship with the street scene and the school building,” the council said, ruling that planning permission would not be required for the shorter section.

The school appealed to The Planning Inspectorate, which this week said it had ruled in the school's favour.

The inspector, who conducted a site visit, noted that while the three-metre-high fence was taller than other nearby boundary treatments, it was a "relatively lightweight structure, finished in a recessive colour."

This, combined with its typical appearance for an educational facility, meant it did not appear out of place in the street scene.

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The inspector acknowledged that the fence did have some impact on the views of the school building, which is constructed from traditional materials including Bath stone and contributes positively to the character and appearance of the area.

However, "the degree of harm to the significance of the heritage asset is less than substantial in this case."

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The inspectorate's report stated: "The three-metre high fencing provides a secure and safe environment for pupils and staff, enclosing the school's only outdoor play and recreation area."

"It also reduces the likelihood of balls leaving the playground and entering adjacent roads, and potential harm to highway safety, while supporting the continued and potential future use of the facilities for physical education, recreational activities, and wider community use."

"These benefits are of considerable weight, which outweigh the less than substantial harm to its significance."