Cabinet members will be asked to consider a way forward in a long running dispute over the fencing of land around a Peterborough secondary school.
A report will go before Cabinet members at their meeting on Tuesday 24 March 2026, relating to land which forms part of the Ken Stimpson Academy site in Werrington.
The land in question remains open for community use, however this means the school is not using it for physical education and other outdoor activities because of safeguarding concerns. It is the only school in the city without a fence around its playing fields, and one of only a few nationally.
Local residents have argued that the land should remain unfenced and accessible to the public, whereas the 4Cs Academy Trust which runs the school, has presented reasons why the land needs to be fenced, most of which relate to safeguarding.
The land in question is designated education land and the Department for Education has confirmed that this designation cannot be changed.
At the upcoming Cabinet meeting, members will be asked to agree the following:
- For the council to enter a lease of the playing fields (known as Area C) with the 4Cs Academy Trust, excluding areas of land to be retained by the council for continued community use.
- For the council to enter into a new Community Use Agreement with the 4Cs Academy Trust governing the community use of the playing fields known as Area C.
The recommendations follow a Cabinet meeting last October where members instructed officers to seek an adjournment of judicial proceedings being brought against the council by the 4Cs Academy Trust. This was in relation to a Full Council decision from March 2025 which attempted to demise a smaller area of land than the area designated as education land to the school.
In addition, Cabinet members tasked council officers with negotiating with the Academy Trust to reach agreement on a lease which excluded a strip which could remain available for public recreational use.
Following discussion between the council and the 4Cs Trust, Cabinet will now be asked to make a decision which aims to draw the matter to a close.
Councillor Katy Cole, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “After many years of procrastination we are close to being able to agree a way forward. It is so important, for the children of the school, that we do not allow any further delay.
“I would like to thank officers for taking Cabinet members’ instructions last October and finding a way forward with the academy trust. The proposed approach will allow pupils to once again access the outdoor space, whilst also attempting to balance the needs of residents by allowing a sizeable strip of land to remain in community use for dog walking and other activities. This would be in addition to other areas of open space in this part of Werrington and a Community Use Agreement which will allow the community to use the land known as Area C at specified times after school and at weekends.
“The recommendations to Cabinet look to meet the needs of all parties – the school, its pupils and the residents - but it is also the best option for taxpayers as a whole as it avoids what we know could have been a very costly Judicial Review process running into tens of thousands.”
The council has previously purchased fencing to use for the land at Ken Stimpson, which has remained in storage. Once a decision is made, this fencing will be used, however it is expected additional fencing will need to be purchased to secure the entire proposed area.
View the agenda for the 24 March 2026 Cabinet meeting on the Democracy Peterborough website.