A BLACKBURN school is to get a new fence to replace its current broken one.

Councillors granted permission for the replacement at Roe Lee Primary on Emerald Avenue after hearing it would improve security and appearance.

Blackburn with Darwen Council planning committee approved the new one-metre high wrought iron fence with 1.8m green mesh panel fencing including a singular pedestrian gate and a double pedestrian gate when it met on Thursday night.

Planning manager Gavin Prescott told the councillors the new boundary treatment would improve the appearance of the school and provide it with 'greater security'.

His report to the meeting said: "The application site is an established primary school located on the south side of Emerald Avenue.

"The surrounding area is residential in character, with dwellings on all sides of the school, and the A6119 Brownhill Drive adjacent to the school field to the east.

"This application seeks replacement of one metre high wrought iron fencing with 1.8m high green mesh panel fencing, to match the other sections of the existing school boundary treatment.

"The sections of one metre high fencing which would be replaced comprise the whole of the northern boundary (adjacent the rear gardens of properties on Emerald Ave), and parts of the western (adjacent the rear gardens of properties on Beryl Ave) and eastern (adjacent the rear gardens of properties on Brownhill Drive) boundaries.

"In some places, the existing fencing is the only boundary treatment to the adjacent residential gardens, whilst in other places there is also traditional garden fencing directly adjacent to it (e.g. 1.8m high timber fencing).

"The proposed mesh fencing would largely be see-through and would just be a continuation of the existing fencing.

"One letter was received from a neighbour, seeking assurances that the amount of work done in their garden would not be damaged."