Plans for external alterations at Kilrea primary school submitted to Council
Plans for external alterations to Kilrea Primary School, due to concerns of fall risk, have been submitted to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.
The recently-submitted application seeks to install a new pedestrian access gate, associated footpath, and replace existing low-level steel railings with Paladin security fencing, due to a health and safety risk from falls, at the school on Lisnagrot Road.
An accompanying Planning Statement said the works are essential safeguarding and security upgrades required to address long-standing safety concerns, relating to inadequate pedestrian pick-up and drop-off arrangements and insufficient boundary fence height.
“These existing issues present a significant risk to pupils, staff, and visitors attending the school,” the statement added.
The school has only minimal on-site car parking with a roadside lay-by used as a drop-off and pick-up point, leading to challenges in managing safe pedestrian movement.
The statement noted: “Over the past two years, temporary Harris fencing has been installed along the front section of the site boundary in response to significant safeguarding concerns.
“The existing boundary comprises 1,200-millimetre steel railings mounted on a low-level brick wall on the internal side, which, although historically adequate, are no longer suitable given the current site conditions and modern safeguarding expectations.
“Upgrading the boundary treatment to a higher, purpose-designed Paladin fence is therefore essential to ensure compliance with current safety standards, mitigate the risk of falls, and provide a long-term, structurally suitable and visually coherent boundary for the school.
“The proposed fencing will deliver a robust and permanent solution that addresses the risks posed by the existing boundary while also removing the unsightly temporary fencing currently in place.”