A 15-year-long saga over the use of a school playing field has reached a tentative conclusion, after a judge ruled that the green space should not be used as a village green.
Cotham School, which has a 125-year lease on the field from Bristol City Council, said that it is “absolutely delighted” at the ruling.
However, campaigners from the We Love Stoke Lodge (WLSL), expressed bitter disappointment over the judgement.
In November, Bristol city councillors unanimously agreed that four walking routes across Cotham School’s playing fields, which the school has been using for PE, should be registered as public footpaths.
The decision followed years of dispute between the campaign group and Cotham School, which came to a head when the school erected a fence around the field.
The campaigners successfully applied for the land to be established as a ‘town green’ to maintain public access to it – a decision that the school then challenged.
However, WLSL argues that although the school won the ruling, they cannot legally block access to the public footpaths.
In a statement, headteacher Joanna Butler, said: “Cotham School is absolutely delighted that His Honour Judge Matthews has handed down his judgement, which confirms that our school playing fields are not and should not be a Town and Village Green.
“The judge has handed down a 110-page judgement which has been found fully in Cotham School’s favour.
“We’re absolutely thrilled that justice has prevailed! The rights and opportunities of our 1,700 students will finally be restored.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be able to positively plan to get back onto our Playing Fields as soon as possible.
“This decision affirms our commitment and tireless endeavours to resolve this highly challenging issue in pursuit of delivering a high-quality educational experience within a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for all our students.
“It supports the approach we have taken, and we remain dedicated to meeting all statutory obligations, including the provision of Physical Education, in a way that best serves the needs of our students.
“Cotham School will now review how the site will be remobilised and will provide further updates on our plans in due course.”
In a statement shared by WLSL, the group said: “This is unexpected and very disappointing.
“We are giving detailed consideration to the judgment and grounds for appeal.
“The Judge made very clear that he was only considering the legal test – and going forward, any appeal will also consider legal issues only.
“We hope that [Cotham School] will undertake a serious rethink of its previous approach, given the enormous controversy it created.
“The land remains a registered village green now and until the outcome of any further litigation is known.
“If the school is ultimately able to put up a fence again in the future, then since there are four public rights of way in the process of registration across the land … it would obviously be foolish to try to block those routes.
“Perhaps we will see evidence of greater consideration of these issues when the school publishes its remobilisation plans.
“However, the immediate priority is for us to take advice on next steps and grounds for appeal.”
• Includes reporting from the Local Democracy Reporter Service