Village on path to division over right of way

Parents and governors at Swanland Primary School in Swanland, outside Hull, are battling to stop a footpath being created through the school's playing fields which they say will put pupils in danger and destroy their play area.

The disagreement follows attempts by some villagers to reopen this historic right of way through the school grounds, which they say will make it quicker to walk across the village.

Those in favour of the footpath are thought to be fewer than 10 in number but they have been very successful in arguing that be that the path should be restored. They enlisted the Ramblers' Association to support their case.

Last week the village's parish council narrowly upheld the application to restore the right of way.

However parents at the school are now fighting to prevent the path being created, encouraging people to write to East Riding of Yorkshire council ahead of the matter being referred to the Secretary of State.

Richard Swain, a parent governor at the school, told the Yorkshire Post that the issue centred on people wanting to create a shortcut through the village and that walking around the school, rather than through its grounds, took little over three minutes.

"We are talking about maybe a few hundred yards to walk around the school but I think some people are taking it as a point of principal, which is a shame considering the amount of time and money it will cost," he said.

"This whole issue goes back a number of years when some people in the village began wanting to reinstate an old Right of Way which has been in existence long before the school was ever there.

"It was used to cut across an open field between Tranby Lane and Main Street. People did used to walk across the field and this was tolerated by the school and was well managed.

"However as time went on there began to be a significant amount of vandalism and anti-social behaviour and the school took the decision to secure the gates both in and out of school hours.

"The problems were mainly caused by youths from outside the village leaving bottles and needles there.

"A number of people in the village have objected to this and have got the Ramblers' Association to have it designated a right of way.

"Our view is that safeguarding children is the more important issue, although we are sympathetic to those who want the Right of Way."

Mr Swain said that if the footpath was restored the school would lose access to the school's netball pitch, bike and scooter sheds, as well as having fewer playing fields to use during recreation time. He added that the costs of creating the path would also be high as it would need to be lit at night, something which could run into tens of thousands of pounds.

"It is ridiculous. Safeguarding children should be the paramount issue," he said.

"There is frustration amongst the parents and public time and money is being taken up with this, at a time when we are trying to increase financial austerity – this is the last thing I imagine that all of us in this area want to be looking at."

Swanland Primary School has been awarded five outstanding ratings from school's watchdog Ofsted, with the safety and security of pupils being one of the issues the body looks at when making its assessment.

Members of the public now have until August 16 to send comments to East Riding Council regarding the issue before the matter is sent to the Secretary of State.

No comment was immediately available from Swanland Parish Council.