Work on building a perimeter fence around a Lancaster school has been paused after complaints from residents.
Ripley St Thomas C of E Academy had begun building the fence to safeguard pupils.
But residents including local councillors have complained, saying it will spoil scenic views of Lancaster.
The school decided to pause work on the fence after receiving a direct complaint from a resident on Wednesday morning.
The fencing is next to the Ripley Heights footpath, which connects Ashton Road to Lancaster Canal at Aldcliffe Road, close to the Haverbreaks estate and the railway line.
When plans for a 3m high perimeter fence were being mooted in 2023, a resident said that a nearby field was "an area of natural beauty and is looked on by residents, walkers along the canal, and visitors arriving on the train into Lancaster.
"It will destroy the view of the area and will make the field look like the external grounds of a prison."
Here is the view from the canal near Aldcliffe Road, of the field close to the Ripley Heights footpath
Sally Kenyon, CEO of The Bay Learning Trust including Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy, said on Wednesday: “We had contact from one of the residents this morning and we immediately paused work on the fence for which full planning permission has been granted.
"Residents’ views are important to us and we will not recommence the work until we have met with a representative of the Residents’ Association."
Ripley St Thomas C of E Academy is pictured below.
In 2023, the school submitted plans to Lancaster City Council, wanting to build a 3m high perimeter fence.
They said the fence would have improved "their existing safeguarding requirements" and "secured their facilities, providing a more suitable environment for their pupils and staff".
More than 80 objections to the plans went in, and Lancaster city councillor Abi Mills said fencing next to the field was "absurd and unnecessary".
Ripley then withdrew the plans after listening to the views of the community, and were expected to submit revised proposals for the fence at a later date, which they said would take into account the views of residents and those who use the public footpath.
Work on a smaller fence (below) got under way recently.
Councillor Tim Hamilton-Cox, who represents Scotforth West ward in Lancaster, said he believed "the school is operating under the conviction that the fencing being erected is permitted development".
"Having visited the site, the top of the fencing already in place is way above my eyeline and prevents appreciation of the wonderful, expansive views to the Lakeland hills and to the castle and countryside north of Lancaster," he said.
"I am pressing for planning enforcement action to be taken to halt the works and for the school to be required to submit a planning application, if indeed it wishes to proceed.
"I welcome the school's instruction to its contractor team to suspend work but residents need assurance that this is more than just a pause."
Councillor Hamilton-Cox (pictured below) said the fencing "ignores the Local Plan designation of Ripley Heights as 'key urban landscape' and fails the test in planning policy DM46 that, 'the council will only support development that preserves the open nature of the area and the character and appearance of its surroundings in accordance with Policy EN5 of the Strategic Policies & Land Allocations DPD'".
A Lancaster City Council spokesperson said: "We are aware of concerns in this regard and our Planning Enforcement Team will visit the site in due course.
"The first stage will be to investigate and determine whether the fencing requires planning consent as the school will benefit from permitted development rights.
"Should the fencing benefit from permitted development rights then planning permission will not be required."
Read more: Lancaster school withdraws plan for perimeter fence after public protests - Beyond Radio
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