A PLANNING application has been submitted to build an acoustic fence to prevent children from hearing swearing from a neighbouring skate park.

The school is also near the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and Rooksdown Community Centre.

Children in Castle Hill Primary are exposed to “anti-social behaviour”, “bad language”, and “negative verbal behaviour”, the planning statement for the application said.

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The scheme submitted by Hampshire County Council will see a mesh fence which is currently on the site replaced with a timber acoustic panel fence on the south-eastern side of the site, where the school boundary adjoins Rooksdown Park, adjacent to a Public Skate area.

If approved, it is hoped the school will be able to reduce noise and block visual intrusion.
Currently the view between the skate area and the playground is blocked in places by low shrub vegetation and other places by temporary ‘willow style’ natural panels attached to the mesh.

It is proposed to replace the current fencing adjacent to the skate park with three-meter-high acoustic timber fencing to provide a permanent solution.

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The planning statement reads: “The school has identified a need for improved audio protection and a reduction of visual disturbance from the anti-social behaviour of Skate Area users.

“The current mesh fence is insufficient at blocking the anti-social behaviour exhibited at the skate park from the children on the school grounds.

“Whilst the natural ‘willow style’ fencing attached to the mesh reduces visual intrusion, it does little to block shouting, bad language and other negative verbal behaviour from being heard by the children at the school.”

The school already erected an acoustic timber fence to the northeastern side of the skate park for the same reason, but in this case, to prevent and reduce anti-social behaviour by users of Basingstoke hospital.