THE arguments over Stoke Lodge Playing Fields show no sign of abating.
Cotham School, which leases the council-owned open space, began re-erecting a fence around the site following a court decision in October.
It wants to make the fields secure so its pupils can use them again for games lessons.
The school has now applied for planning permission for eight CCTV cameras to be installed to help it manage the site.
But this has irked those residents who have long campaigned for the public to have more access to the public open space, particularly outside school hours.
The issue escalated when the school put out a press release highlighting vandalism to the fence, particularly near the Cheyne Road access points. It said large sections of the fence had been deliberately destroyed by people using power tools.
Head teacher Jo Butler said: “I am extremely upset and frustrated by these constant attacks on Cotham School’s property. This is not an isolated incident; our school field fence has been repeatedly targeted over a number of years now, and it is having a significant impact on our resources and our ability to provide the best facilities for our students.”
“The fencing was only reinstated over the last few weeks to secure the site and enable our students and the local community sports groups to get back to using the fields safely with our permission. The damage will cost thousands of pounds to repair – money that should be spent on education and resources for our children.”
We Love Stoke Lodge campaigners said the school was exaggerating the cost of the damage,
A spokesperson said: “We Love Stoke Lodge does not condone criminal activity in any form, but neither do we condone inflammatory and misleading claims, which only serve to increase division between the school and the community. We note that the school has applied to install eight, 6m tall CCTV towers around the parkland; it has been suggested to us that the school may wish to publicise claims of this nature in a bid to justify that application.”
The spokesperson went on to say that Cotham School had chosen to build a fence around the whole 22-acre site, rather than just the area it needed for PE lessons.
The campaign group is also fighting on to ensure that the public rights of way over the site are protected.