100 signatures reached
To: Forest of Dean District Council planning committee
Save Westbury-on-Severn Primary School Playing Field
Reject the application by Westbury-on-Severn parish council to turn a significant and vital part of Westbury-on-Severn primary school's playing fields into a graveyard. We urge the council to consider:
1. Cemetery land should not be provided at the expense of playing fields that have served the school for many years and which are loved and well used by the children of the school and which are vitally important to the children’s health and wellbeing.
2. The proposed ‘replacement’ field is not fit for playing field use as it is boggy and uneven – hence the reason it is not being proposed as additional cemetery land.
3. There are no details as how the Parish Council will bring the proposed replacement field to a playing field standard.
4. Child safeguarding/pupil security will be compromised. There are no details of any security fencing in the planning application. It will be harder to supervise children as two separate playing field areas will be created, linked by a narrow pathway.
5. The cemetery is away from the church therefore could be accommodated elsewhere. The location of the school is fixed and it is logical for the school playing fields to be immediately adjacent.
6. A cemetery is an incompatible neighbour for a school.
7. Land ownership and bequeath reasons are not valid planning considerations.
8. This application is not supported by National or Local Planning Policy – i.e. conflicts with paragraph 97 of the NPPF and conflicts with Policy CSP.9 - Recreational and amenity land of the Forest of Dean Adopted Core Strategy.
9. Inadequate community liaison about the proposal.
10. Westbury parish has an abundance of farmland which could be used for burials without taking land away from school children.
Please consider adding a comment on the Forest of Dean Website planning page here.
https://publicaccess.fdean.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=PCFH44HIJWZ00
1. Cemetery land should not be provided at the expense of playing fields that have served the school for many years and which are loved and well used by the children of the school and which are vitally important to the children’s health and wellbeing.
2. The proposed ‘replacement’ field is not fit for playing field use as it is boggy and uneven – hence the reason it is not being proposed as additional cemetery land.
3. There are no details as how the Parish Council will bring the proposed replacement field to a playing field standard.
4. Child safeguarding/pupil security will be compromised. There are no details of any security fencing in the planning application. It will be harder to supervise children as two separate playing field areas will be created, linked by a narrow pathway.
5. The cemetery is away from the church therefore could be accommodated elsewhere. The location of the school is fixed and it is logical for the school playing fields to be immediately adjacent.
6. A cemetery is an incompatible neighbour for a school.
7. Land ownership and bequeath reasons are not valid planning considerations.
8. This application is not supported by National or Local Planning Policy – i.e. conflicts with paragraph 97 of the NPPF and conflicts with Policy CSP.9 - Recreational and amenity land of the Forest of Dean Adopted Core Strategy.
9. Inadequate community liaison about the proposal.
10. Westbury parish has an abundance of farmland which could be used for burials without taking land away from school children.
Please consider adding a comment on the Forest of Dean Website planning page here.
https://publicaccess.fdean.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=PCFH44HIJWZ00
Why is this important?
Because children need green areas to play and exercise and the playing fields they have are vital to their wellbeing. There is no usable alternative green space adjacent that the school they can use.
