A LAND grab row over Worcester's Pitmaston Park is going to carry on into next year - after city councillors decided to delay a decision for more talks.

It now appears a compromise could be struck over the green space's future, with school chiefs negotiating a revised scheme with residents.

As the Worcester News first revealed in November, Pitmaston Primary School wants to fence off 27 per cent of the site in a controversial bid to create a "secure" play area.

The scheme would come complete with a 6ft-high fence, with dismayed residents mounting a campaign to stop it.

Worcester City Council's planning committee voted to defer a decision over the site yesterday, after it emerged how school bosses are open to talks on potentially revising it.

It could mean a smaller fence, with some suggestions it should be knee-height, and may include a deal allowing the public to use it outside of school hours.

The matter was debated for well over an hour at the planning committee, with councillors completely divided over what to do.

The school says child safeguarding issues and worry over dog mess means it needs the expanded space, but people who use the site are furious about losing so much land.

Resident Rob Harper, who lives in Malvern Road, said: "I've lived here 10 years, and my family have been in the area for 40.

"I've seen about 100 letters to the council about this, the vast majority are against it.

"Pitmaston Park was bequeathed to the people of St John's for the recreational use of its people - I think that was 100 years ago, the school at that time didn't even exist.

"I don't why know they think they can have a third of the park for their exclusive use."

He said if the school becomes an academy, a fenced off section would "become controlled by a private company".

Sue Bladen, the school's business manager, said they have 620-plus pupils and are constantly having to grow to cater for demand.

She argued that it was 24 per cent of the landscape, telling the committee it would "provide a safe and secure green space both for the children on our pupil roll, and future generations".

She also said 64 pupils currently on a child protection register cannot play outside.

Anna Eyre, a parent, said she has to scrape dog muck off her children's feet or clothes with a brush almost daily.

It split the committee, with Cllr Roger Berry calling it a "takeover", saying a "6ft-high lockable fence" would wreck the park.

Cllr Jo Hodges was among those disagreeing, saying "safeguarding must be our major concern" and cited worry about dog muck.

They voted to defer the decision for more talks on a compromise.