A RESIDENT neighbouring Frome’s leisure centre has raised safety concerns about the height of the fence surrounding the hockey and football pitch at the facility, saying that hockey balls fly over the top of the fence.
Frome Sport & Fitness, based on Princess Anne Road, is part of the Fusion Lifestyle chain and has a court where people can play football and hockey, with a fence separating the area from the road and neighbouring houses.
A resident neighbouring the pitch says that hockey balls have caused damage to his car and has “thudded” the side of his house and landed in his front garden. He says that footballs also land in the middle of the road, and he is concerned that passers-by may be hit by a ball.
The resident said, “I have measured the fence and it is actually 2.73 metres high. According to the FA and England Hockey, the fence is not fit for purpose.”
The England Hockey website states that the perimeter surrounding a hockey pitch should be ‘at least three metres at the end of the pitch and five metres behind the goals. Side-line fencing may be as low as 1.2 metres, but cross field play needs to be considered and would ideally recommend three metres.’
The FA recommends that the fence height on a synthetic surface pitch ‘should be 4.5 metres on all sides.’
The resident has taken up the issue of the height of the fence with the leisure centre, but says, “The leisure centre say they are in the process of getting quotes to make the fence taller, but this has been dragging on for ages.
“My main concern is that an innocent member of the public, walking or driving by, might get seriously hurt. It’s one thing for it to slam into my car and damage it, that’s just annoying, but it’s a different thing entirely if it hits someone.”
The Frome Times approached Fusion Lifestyle for comment about the height of the fence. The company said, “We can confirm there has only ever been one reported incident of hockey balls going over the top of the fence around the pitch. However, we take the health and safety of our local community very seriously and are currently planning to raise the pitch and fence higher at each goal end, to avoid any further similar issues.”
