A SECONDARY school’s plan to put up a 1.8m-high security fence around its boundary will make it look like ‘a prison’, planners were told.

Wyedean Academy at Sedbury said it wanted to improve its safeguarding across the site by establishing the secure perimeter boundary.

But objecting to the fence, school neighbour Gill Penny told Forest planners: “Apart from it being very unsightly, it will be like being in a prison and cut off… will they (the pupils) not feel trapped.”

“My family and I have lived here for over 25 years, and seen no trouble, so why all of a sudden do Wyedean School feel the need to put up this fencing?” she added.

“My property’s boun-dary has many hedges, trees and shrubs which I trim often, and in order to do this I need to have access into Wyedean sports field.”

And she continued: “Any thoughts for the wildlife? We have rabbits, foxes, hedgehogs, numerous birds and the odd pheasant.”

Lawrence Hanson told Forest planners people had used bins in his garden to climb into Wyedean school and he feared a repeat could see them impale themselves on the new fence spikes.

“Nobody is going to be able to see a spiked fence from our side of the boundary, so a future incident could lead to serious injury or death,” he said.

He also claimed the school would be creating a “no-man’s land” between the fence and private properties which would quickly become overgrown and start to encroach on his own fencing, which couldn’t be mantained because the gap was “far too small”.

“We have lived in our property for over 30 years and… have spent a small fortune on improving the fencing around our garden.

“We are currently in the process of repairing and replacing our fencing and without a suitable gap this would prove impossible.

“We have already had boundary issues with Wyedean School.

“Any planning permission should include the ability of us to maintain, replace our fence panels and manage wild foliage.”

The school told planners the boundary is currently marked by a hedgerow with gaps, wire mesh in “very poor condition”, woodland to the rear of the site, palisade fencing and domestic fencing on private gardens.

New palisade fencing between concrete posts on the western side would prevent people entering the site, they added, while weld mesh fencing on the north boundary would stop dogs fouling the playing field areas.

A report for Wyedean said the fence would be “wholly on the school site” with space for maintaining private hedges.

Forest planners ruled the fencing was permitted development and could go ahead.