Highgate Wood School wants fence at Crouch End Playing Field

Crouch End Playing Fields is leased from Haringey Council to Highgate Wood School - but the public enjoys access to the land.

The school - working with North London Cricket Club and Highgate Cricket Club -presented plans to fence off the field at a meeting of Crouch End Open Space (CREOS), a group that manages the area, in May.

But opponents say the proposals would “lock them out” of an area they have had access to for decades.

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They have started a group called Keep Crouch End Playing Field Open (KCEPFO), and have applied to Haringey Council to register the field as a town green to protect it from development.

They said: “CREOS just seem to have capitulated to the school.

“They want to bring the field back to sports use for the school, which is fine - they have used it for sports in the past.

“The point that we've taken issue with is that they plan to put up a fence around the whole field.”

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At least five turf cricket pitches, two nine-a-side football pitches and a 200m athletics track would be enclosed.

Highgate Wood School says the fencing is needed for “safeguarding” reasons, but admit the field is currently used for some PE lessons as it is.

The school claims the area is “primarily for dog walking”, but is also occasionally “a centre for anti-social behaviour”.

But KCEPFO claims the playing field is a thriving community space, and is regularly used for ball games, exercise, socialising, picnicking, and dog walking.

Opponents of the plans claim the playing field is regularly used for ball games, exercise, socialising, picnicking, and dog walking (Image: Supplied)

CREOS says the original plans would have completely excluded the public.

It says that through negotiation, it secured perimeter access across the field at the southern side and continued public access on its western side.

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A spokesperson added: “CREOS cannot support the principle of denying public access to the remainder of the field but we acknowledge that without fencing this project will not go ahead, to the detriment of the school and its pupils.”

Highgate Wood School headteacher Patrick Cozier added that the field would be use by the cricket clubs when the school does not need it, primarily on summer evenings and weekends during the cricket season.

The school has said that it will request planning permission where it is required and that a public meeting about the plans will be held in September or October.

A Haringey Council spokesperson said: “We have received an application to designate the site as a village green, which will be carefully considered, and a decision issued in due course.

“There has been no recent correspondence on proposals for the site following an initial enquiry several years ago.  If a planning application is received, neighbours will be consulted.”