A TEST Valley school needs to up security to protect its children, according to the county council.

In an application submitted by Hampshire County Council to its own planning department, it said the gates to Stockbridge Primary School’s field need replacing to improve security and prevent trespassing.

The school has around 150 pupils between two and 11 years old. In September, school inspectorate Ofsted rated it as good and it was found to have effective safeguarding.

But for safeguarding reasons, the council said it needs to remove and replace the access gate to the playing field.

This is to improve the site’s security, recognised as “a necessity for safeguarding requirements” as, at the moment, it can be easily jumped which puts the pupils at risk of unwanted access and trespassing.

Currently, the site users use the mesh gate “occasionally” for additional access to the sports fields, particularly the football pitch. The current entrance is around three metres wide and one metre high with metal posts and includes a vehicle gate and a pedestrian access gate.

It is proposed that a two-metre high and three-metre wide close board treated softwood (TSW) with heavy trenched capping, hung on standard adjustable galvanised hinges, will be installed instead.

Public consultation on planning application HCC/2023/0700 will be open until January 5.