Seaford secondary school plans for a security fence which councillors claim will ‘barricade' residents in their homes

Lib Dem East Sussex County councillors Christine Brett and Carolyn Lambert have said Steyne Road residents will be ‘barricaded’ in their homes by the proposed two-metre high security fence around the perimeter of Seaford Head Academy.

The academy said the fencing was being erected to replace its existing boundaries.

The school believes the fence will ensure it continued to safeguard its students as best it can, whilst staying in line with the guidance issued to them.

Councillor Brett said: “The height and scale of the boundary fence are completely un-necessary and will barricade residents into their homes causing a fire risk as their means of escape from the rear of their properties will be blocked.

"In addition, many of the houses in Cricketfield Road will only be a couple of metres from the fence which will tower over the properties, blocking the light.

"I am astonished that Seaford Head Academy is behaving in such an un-neighbourly way and undertaking work of this scale which is out of all proportion to what is required.”

The school has said no neighbour access will be blocked with the fencing and highlight that no neighbouring properties currently exit directly onto the school grounds.

The academy also confirmed that the fence would not solid and would allow for light to pass through it to reach neighbouring properties.

A spokesperson for the school said: "We were contacted by a resident with some concerns which we tried to address, but it should be noted that no councillors have contacted the school direct with their concerns.

“If they had done we could have provided the information they needed and reassured them that we always work in the best interests of the students at the school, but are also always considerate to our neighbours and the wider community.”

The councillors also claimed the environmental issues of the fence had not been considered, as there is a badger set on the site which will be disrupted if work goes ahead.

Seaford Head Academy said an ecological survey has been completed on behalf of the school as per planning requirements.

The fence will be funded through Department of Education grant, which the school is able to bid for as an academy on an annual basis.

Councillor Lambert said no due diligence had been carried out by the Department of Education to see if these proposals are the most effective solution.

The councillor stated that the cost of the fence to the tax payer was ‘unjustifiable’ in the current climate.

Councillor Lambert said: “Seaford Primary school replaced their boundary recently with a boarded fence which was not only in scale but sensitive to the environment and location.

"Clearly, the Academy Trust which runs Seaford Head has no concern for the local community. It is deeply disappointing that they have chosen to put in this application without consulting the community or considering alternative proposals.”

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The school hope to begin erecting the fence by September 14.