Let our children play - Warwickshire parents start petition to re-open school field

PARENTS are fuming that their children have been locked out of a popular playing field in Welford.

Welford Primary School governors ordered the gate to the field off Headland Road to be locked, leaving youngsters with nowhere safe to play. The governors say they had no choice but to do it, because of safeguarding reasons. But the timing has incensed villagers as the field, which includes swings and other play equipment, was shut just before the start of May half term holiday week and the long summer holidays start in five weeks.

The move follows the breakdown of discussions between the school and the parish council, after almost two years. The parties now communicate only through solicitors and Welford parish council has been told to remove the play equipment it funded, from the field.

Warwickshire County Council, which owns the freehold, agreed with the parish council in 1962 that the field could be used by children after school hours, at weekends and in school holidays. An online petition started by a villager 10 days ago objecting to the play area closure, has attracted nearly 600 signatures.

Abi Burgoine, who grew up in Welford, takes her daughters Hannah, 6, and Isabelle, 3, to play there regularly. A solicitor whose grandfather and great grandmother lived in Welford, Ms Burgoine told the Herald: “I played in the park as a child and my dad played there before me and my children play there.

“It’s been that way for 60 years and I can’t understand how we’ve had access for so long but then no say in the closure of it. We’re really upset.”

Former Welford primary pupil Ms Burgoine said her parents who live in the village and look after her girls while she’s at work, often take the girls there. And as her brother and his family also live in the village, they meet at the field so the young cousins can have fun together.

She added: “It’s really disappointing as there’s always been a strong community spirit in Welford and the school has been a strong part of that but now, they’ve created this huge divide. They need to stop thinking that it’s them against the parish council, because what they’re doing is impacting the community of which they’re a part. This attitude of just locking the gate and saying remove your park equipment is shocking and shows a real lack of respect for the community and a disinterest in trying to maintain a relationship.

“They might be frustrated by the parish council but it’s not just them that are affected, it’s every child in Welford.”

Mum-of-three Agnieszka, who lives in Welford, said her boys aged 7, 8 and 11 let off steam in the field and playground almost every day after coming out of school.

She said: “My garden is tiny and with three boys, the field is the only safe place they can run around – there’s nothing much else in the village. Since it’s shut, my 11-year-old has been playing football with friends on Maypole Green but that’s right next to a busy road and I’m worried something will happen.”

James Beaman, whose 11-year-old daughter Amelia goes to school said she was “quite upset” at not being able to meet her friends in the play area over May half term.

Mr Beaman, a management accountant, said: “As a parent, I would say the best way forward is for the school to talk to the community, get everyone together, but there’s been no real consultation.”

Former police officer and charity worker Antony Ryan, who lives on the same road as the school and started the petition, said both his sons were at the school when they were younger.

He said: “The field is massively popular and is a meeting point.

“You get 11-year olds kicking a ball around and younger kids playing on the swings. It’s a bit bullish for a village school to behave like this.

Welford Parish Council chairman Simon Carr said: “The fact so many people have signed the petition shows the strength of feeling about this.

“We don’t want to do anything to damage the school but we need them to have a bit more of an open mind when it comes to finding a solution.

“We know safeguarding makes things hard but there are ways around it.”

Discussions have included suggestions where the play equipment could be moved to but parents say there’s nowhere else safe and central enough. They say Synder Meadow is waterlogged for much of the year and Maypole Green near the High Street too close to traffic.

The school says “the very sad decision to remove access to the public to the playing field is due to safeguarding concerns and that they have put at least two proposals to the parish council which have been rejected.

There is also an ongoing dispute over whether an agreement to use the field is a licence or an informal agreement.

Welford school governors told the Herald: “Unfortunately, the parish council has been unable to satisfy the governors they have adequate safeguarding policies in place, while simultaneously there have been breaches of previous informal arrangements that resulted in school grounds not being secured on a daily basis.”

They added: “The playing field is maintained and managed by the school for the benefit of Welford school pupils and educational activities. While historically access to the field by the village has been permitted this has only ever been an informal arrangement. The duties that now apply to schools have pushed all schools to a revising of any informal arrangements.

“Changes necessitate the implementation of stricter access controls for the safety of our pupils and all children during and out of school hours and also for the overall safety of the school site. We are sorry to say therefore that the parish council neither understands nor appears willing to support the school’s safeguarding duties, and so we are unable to progress this situation.”

A spokesperson for the county council added: “Officers are engaging with the parish council who are keen to progress mediation options with the school. Further to the engagement with the parish, colleagues with education are liaising with the school, particularly in relation to safeguarding and the subsequent decisions that have been made by the school. This is still very much an ongoing position, and we are working hard with both the school and the parish to identify a swift and suitable resolution for all parties.”