School to ramp up security over safety concerns

New safety measures are needed at Crossley Heath School, a report claims

New safety measures are "urgently" needed to keep people out of the grounds of a school in Halifax, a health and safety inspection has found.

New fencing, gates, CCTV and lighting have been proposed to help protect the Grade II listed Crossley Heath School, in Skircoat Moor Road.

Incidents at the school include groups of "hooded youths" scaling school walls, intoxicated males found on school grounds and unknown vehicles being driven on and off of the site.

According to planning documents a three-week public consultation on the proposed safety measures will begin on 21 August.

Plans also include installing automated vehicle and pedestrian gates with integrated CCTV intercom access linked to the school's reception.

The measures are needed to help keep out "unwanted persons" not just in school hours but out, including nights and weekends, according to the listed building consent application submitted to Calderdale Council.

'Protect school users'

A supporting report by planning consultants E3 Cube Ltd states low level fencing is planned on top of the school's boundary walls, with a 10ft (3m) high "weldmesh" fence fitted to other walled sections of the school.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the report proposes new lighting to improve safety, with 30 bollard lights positioned along the length of the main pathway.

CCTV cameras would be also placed in several locations, some fitted on heritage style mounting poles.

The consultants' report said the proposed works were "urgently required to eliminate safety issues, highlighted from both the health and safety auditor and subsequently from a detailed survey".

Supporting papers argued the plans outlined would "safeguard the historic building into the future".

Crossley Heath School was founded in 1864 as the Crossley and Porter Orphanage and is currently a Foundation School.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.