School gates planned to stop urinating racegoers

All Saints School hopes to keep out intruders

New gates and railings are set to be installed at a school in York’s South Bank to stop racegoers using its grounds to relieve themselves.

Plans lodged with City of York Council would see gates, wire mesh and metal railings installed around the Upper Site of All Saints Roman Catholic School in Mill Mount.

Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, which runs the school, said in its plans that problems with revellers using the school premises to urinate were well-documented.

Council Assistant Education Director Maxine Squire said in a letter supporting the plans that the site was currently very open and easy for intruders to access.

'Safeguarding risk'

Rachael Maskell, as York Central Labour MP, raised concerns in 2022 about people getting into the site, telling the Commons the behaviour of inebriated racegoers posed a safeguarding risk to pupils.

The school is split across two sites, with the Lower site for years seven to nine on Nunnery Lane.

The Upper Site, for years 10, 11 and the school’s sixth form, is in Mill Mount on the way to York Racecourse from the railway station.

The application stated the installation of fencing and railings would have no direct impact on the school’s listed buildings, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Ms Squire’s letter stated the plans would deal with the issues in an appropriate and proportionate way.

She said: “The Upper Site has a number of vulnerabilities around security and safeguarding.

“Ensuring children and young people are able to learn in a safe environment is an important priority.”

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].