Footpath cutting through school to be closed over safety fears
A footpath cutting through a school will be closed under plans to safeguard children and staff.
Earls High School wants to divert the path around school grounds, adding 320 ft to its distance.
It claims the track is a 'security hazard' with people loitering close to classes in the evenings.
The current path runs from Melbourne Road to Furnace Lane.
The proposal would divert it around the school playing fields from Melbourne Lane.
Governor Jeff Hill said: "The footpath runs through the middle of the school grounds and that raises concerns for the safety of students and staff at the school.
"The idea is that by moving the path, the safety can be improved without causing significant inconvenience to members of the public who use it."
Having unveiled proposals and consulted with nearby residents five years ago, the scheme has been put to Dudley Council.
The council now plans to apply to the Magistrates Court under the Highways Act to change the path route.
Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, cabinet member for transport, said: "The plan has been put forward as the school has raised concern over the vulnerability of children.
"They have come up with an alternative footpath.
"I understand their concerns, we ultimately have a responsibility to protect children in education."
The council also says the diversion would mean people using the current path could avoid the steep steps leading from Furnace Lane.
The diversion has also been described in a council decision report as 'less intimidating and more commodious for the public'.
The report said: "Although the overall diverted route would be 95 metres longer, pedestrians would encounter less problems with gradients.
"The new path will also be surfaced and appropriately lit."
The footpath along Furnace lane has a width of at least 6ft.
As part of the plan, the school has said it will cut away vegetation along the new route to improve light.
It will also put up mesh fencing between the new path and the playing fields parameter.
The school would pay for the path to laid, but maintenance would be at the public expense.
The current path is used by school children and residents who live in Melbourne Road, which has about 40 homes.
If the Magistrates Court approved the proposal, a planning application will be required, with a wider consultation to take place.
The three ward councillors have supported the scheme.
