SENIOR figures at an Oswestry secondary school have stated that a new fence was built on its lands for safeguarding reasons.

Sally Wilmot, head of school at the Marches School in Morda Road, and Vince Hunt, chairman of governors with responsibility for safeguarding, both spoke after social media criticism of the fence’s installation.

Both moved to confirm the fence was being built to improve safeguarding for the school and prevent what the school called ‘unauthorised access to our land’ and issues of dog fouling.

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A spokesman for the school added that planning permission ‘was not required because of its height’ and did not feel that public consultation was ‘needed’.

Ms Wilmot, said: “We are fortunate to have such fantastic outdoor spaces, and it is vital that these are kept safe for both our students and the community.

“The fence is an important step in ensuring that the grounds remain secure and clean, while still being available for community use through proper channels.”

Mr Hunt added: “Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our students.

“The decision to install the fence was not made lightly, but we believe it is essential to protect our children, both in school and during extracurricular activities.

“We remain committed to working with the community and look forward to the extensive extracurricular programme restarting following the summer break.”

The spokesman added: “With recent reports of dog attacks across the country, we cannot allow dogs to roam freely on school grounds during lesson times, during after-school clubs, or activities.

“This is a crucial step to prevent any accidents or threats to the wellbeing of our students and staff.

“We want to reassure the community that the footpath will not be affected by this installation. In addition, we are committed to promoting sport and wellbeing.

“To support this, we are happy to allow the community to book the pitches, and we welcome any local clubs to use the facilities, so we also have an obligation to keep the areas clean and safe for these groups.

“We are proud to have secured funding from the Football Association (FA) to improve our Football pitches, and part of our responsibility under this funding is to ensure that the grounds are kept in good condition for both the school and the wider community.

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“We appreciate the community’s understanding and support as we continue to prioritise the safety of your children at our school.”

For any further information or questions, please contact the school office at admin@mar.mmat.co.uk

A Shropshire Council spokesman said: “Generally, planning permission would not normally be required for the erection of a fence up to two metres in height at a school unless it is adjacent to a listed building.”