Trial date set to end school playing fields row

Hundreds of people attended a campaign group's public meeting

A trial date has been set to end a long-running dispute between a school and campaigners over a 23-acre playing field.

Cotham School in Bristol caused controversy when it erected a 6ft (2m) high fence around land it leases at Stoke Lodge in 2019 to allow uninterrupted PE lessons and to safeguard staff and pupils.

Residents said at the time the move deprived them of green space and Bristol City Council agreed to give the playing fields 'town and village green space' status in 2023.

The school is challenging the council's decision through the High Court in a trial scheduled to start on January 27. A spokesperson for Cotham School said they are confident in their case.

The village green status means it cannot be fenced off to the public, and up until 2019 the land had been shared with locals before the school erected the perimeter fence.

Since then, there have been repeated rows over access including multiple claims of criminal damage to the structure and "covert cameras" used on the fields.

Cotham School leased the site in 2011 and shared the land with locals until 2019

The 'We Love Stoke Lodge' campaign group has launched a crowd funder to raise £100,000 to pay the costs for a barrister to defend the case.

The group held a public meeting in St Mary's Church, in Stoke Bishop, on September 16 where hundreds attended.

Helen Powell, who led the meeting, told the BBC: "It's really important to the local community to be able to have open access to this land.

"This is actually the last green space in this area, and the community feels very strongly that since Cotham School has taken a lease on the basis that it could be a village green.

"They shouldn't be able to challenge that and fence it in and keep the public out.

"We want to go back to the position where everyone gets to share this land together."

What the fenced off part of the field looked like

The High Court trial is expected to last five days, and will involve Bristol City Council as it leases the land to the school.

A council spokesperson said they cannot comment on legal cases.