The British government has refuted local newspaper claims that it planned to sanction the building of a 40 foot peace wall close to Holy Cross primary school in north Belfast.
In a statement, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) said there were no plans to extend the existing security barrier between the Protestant Glenbryn estate and Alliance Avenue onto the Ardoyne Road, which leads up to Holy Cross school.
"Security measures are based on recommendations from the Chief Constable and at no stage did he make such a proposal," the statement said. Loyalist residents from Glenbryn last month called off their three-month pickets of Catholic schoolchildren walking to the school after the Stormont Executive set aside a £200,000 sterling package to address pressing social and security issues in the area.
The package includes extra policing, speed ramps and other traffic calming measures, closed circuit television cameras as well as an upgrade to the existing peace line. It also outlines a number of educational and community projects. While loyalist residents in the area were reported to be in favour of a peace wall right across the Ardoyne Road, nationalists yesterday expressed their concerns about the alleged plans, which would have entailed a re-alignment of the road.
The chairman of the Holy Cross school board, Father Aidan Troy, warned that an additional barrier across the road would only serve to stoke up further community tensions. "Walls across roads are going to become flashpoints for major confrontation," he added.
The SDLP's north Belfast MLA, Mr Alban Maginness, said he hoped the NIO's denial was true.
"There is no doubt that the erection of such a wall would add to tensions in the area. Building further barriers will in no way ease tensions in north Belfast," he concluded.