Plans for Sacred Heart Primary School set to be approved

An application proposing the replacement fencing to the school boundary – with 2.4m high security fencing and gates 'in order to improve safe guarding' – will come before the development management committee at its meeting on Thursday.

The committee is being recommended to approve it, subject to conditions, with delegated authority given to the development manager to make non-material changes to planning conditions and reasons as may be necessary prior to the issue of the decision.

A report to the committee says: “The boundary fence as existing takes the form of a metal railing fence atop a low brick wall with an average height of around 1.8m.

“There are sections with a brick wall base along Selby Street and half way along Wellfield Street after which the fence is without the brick base.

“The brick wall is a retaining wall as the school land is at a slightly lower elevation than Selby Street. There is a decrease of land level southwards along Wellfield Street leaving the low brick retaining wall redundant.

“The proposed fencing would have a constant height of 2.4m throughout maintained by varying the height of metal mesh fence panels atop of the low brick wall.

“The proposed works consist of replacing part of the northern boundary fence on Selby Street and the whole of the eastern boundary fence along Wellfield Street 2.4m high security mesh fencing. The works include the replacement of the fence for the gated vehicular entrance on Selby Street and the pedestrian entrance on Wellfield Street.

“As proposed the metal railings are to be replaced with 2.4m mesh metal security fencing which is commonly used on school facilities.

“The proposal to replace parts of the existing perimeter fence with 2.4m high mesh security fencing at the Sacred Heart Catholic School is acceptable in terms of scale, design and appearance and will not have any unacceptable impact on the character of the area or the amenities of nearby residential occupiers.”