- Cotham School suspends public access Stoke Lodge immediately.
- Suspension cites operational needs and student safety concerns.
- Decades-long dispute over 23-acre playing fields intensifies.
- Campaigners challenge school’s permissive access claim legally.
Bristol (Bristol Express News) January 17, 2026 – Cotham School, a secondary academy in Bristol’s Redland area, has issued an official statement suspending all permissive public access to Stoke Lodge playing fields, effective immediately, due to operational requirements and safeguarding priorities. The 23-acre site, leased from Bristol City Council since 2011, has been at the centre of a protracted conflict between the school and local residents advocating for open public use. This latest development follows a High Court ruling last year that quashed the land’s town green status, allowing the school greater control amid ongoing safety disputes.
What is the background of the stoke lodge dispute?
The row over Stoke Lodge playing fields dates back years, originating from public use claims against the school’s exclusive needs. Students at Cotham School have relied on the site for physical education since 2011, as the main campus three miles away lacks sufficient space. In 2018, nearby residents, organised under the We Love Stoke Lodge campaign, applied to register the fields as a town or village green to preserve public access.
As reported by Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporter of ITV News West Country, councillors at Bristol City Council debated small signs erected in the 1980s by Avon County Council, which warned against trespass but were deemed insufficient to render public use contentious. Liberal Democrat Councillor Andrew Varney stated: “The key issue is whether the signs were sufficient to render the use of the land contentious. My conclusion is that they were not. Many people have used the land for decades without being aware of the signs. Stoke Lodge has numerous entrances, well worn footpaths, provision of infrastructure such as bins — and two signs erected by an extinct authority were not sufficient to render the use of the land contentious.”
In 2019, Cotham School erected a 6ft (2m) fence to enable uninterrupted PE classes and protect against risks like dog waste or pupils wandering off. The council initially rejected a 2016 inquiry recommendation against green status but granted it in June 2023, prompting school objections.
Why did cotham school suspend public access?
Cotham School’s official statement emphasises operational and safety considerations as the core reasons for suspending all permissive public access. The school argues that unrestricted public presence conflicts with statutory duties to provide secure outdoor space for pupils, many from deprived Bristol areas lacking green space at home.
Jo Butler, headteacher of Cotham School, stated in 2023:
“The landowner has made it consistently clear through signs that they object to the unfettered use of the land for the public. The school is under a statutory duty to provide sufficient outdoor space for its students. It has no other land available for this purpose.
The school is also under very strict safeguarding duties which makes it impossible to allow the general public to use the land while its students are present. Granting this application would have very serious consequences for the operation of our school.
It’s essential for our students, the majority of whom live in very deprived areas of Bristol in overcrowded housing with no access to green space at all. In fact the only space they have access to is the pavement outside of their homes or parks in a great state of disrepair.”
Following the High Court ruling in June 2025 by Judge Paul Matthews, which determined the fields “should never have been registered as a town or village green,” the school expressed “absolute delight” and proceeded with security enhancements. A school spokesperson noted in September 2025:
“We now have an agreed plan in place, which encompasses reinstating the fencing, ensuring site is safe and secure for student activities, and establishing a clear user policy.”
Recent measures include re-erecting fences, installing CCTV cameras, and loudspeakers—initially broadcasting warnings like “Attention, attention site. You do leave this area, security officers will be dispatched”—though the speakers were later silenced.
What triggered the recent escalation?
Tensions peaked on January 15, 2026, when police were called to Stoke Lodge after a “hostile” stand-off between school staff, pupils attempting PE lessons, and local residents. Bristol Live reported that this was the first such attempt in years, amid claims of theatre by the campaign group.
As posted by @WlStoke_Lodge on X (formerly Twitter),
“Cotham says it’s suspending ‘all permissive public access’ at Stoke Lodge. But public access isn’t by their permission & is subject to public rights of way which cannot be suspended by the school.”
Enda McMahon, a local resident using the space for 25 years, described the security setup as “totally intimidating… Why have they put that up there? It makes it look like a camp or something. It’s ridiculous.”
The We Love Stoke Lodge group received a letter from headteacher Jo Butler informing of the suspension, prompting accusations that public access predates school permission and involves protected rights of way. Campaigners reference Ofsted and Department for Education guidance stating fences are not required for open playing fields, noting other Bristol schools manage without them.
How have campaigners responded to the suspension?
Emma Burgess of We Love Stoke Lodge told ITV News: “Thousands of kids across the UK use open public land for PE, and Ofsted and the Department for Education have repeatedly confirmed they don’t require playing fields to be fenced. Sadly Cotham School doesn’t want to listen to our ideas for sharing Stoke Lodge. The school told us if we didn’t shut down our Facebook group, they would build a bigger fence and lock us out for good.”
Helen Powell, another campaign member, reacted to a related Court of Appeal denial in October 2025: “That is end of road for application… there is nowhere to go. On application, have been by the. She expressed that the outcome of this lengthy matter ‘a pill for community to.’ Nevertheless, the group declared its commitment to continue to this precious space, trees and its wildlife, by all means available.” The group contacted Bristol City Council, land owner and lessor, urging prevention of fences without resident consultation, though the council declined comment.
We Love Stoke Lodge maintains that obstructing public rights of way constitutes a criminal offence under section 137 of the Highways Act, and references school meeting notes from 21 May 2018 where Jo Butler acknowledged other schools safeguard open fields effectively.
What is the legal status after high court rulings?
High Court Judge Paul Matthews ruled in June 2025 that Cotham School was not obligated to share the fields, revoking town green status and restoring school priorities. The Court of Appeal refused permission to appeal in October 2025, deeming no “real prospects of success,” which the school hailed as “great news” for safeguarding.
Bristol City Council owns the land and leases it to the school, with a pending decision on enforcing public rights of way obstructed by fencing, potentially taking months. Campaigners argue access is “as of right,” not permissive, challenging the school’s suspension terminology. Previously, a 2018 judicial review quashed an early council grant of green status.
