A primary school playground in the Netherlands has been ordered to close due to its children being too noisy.
De Buut primary school in Nijmegen has been given until the end of the month to ban pupils from the field or face a €10,000 (£9,000) fine.
Local residents complained that the children were exceeding a 70-decibel limit on residential areas.
Officials commissioned a noise measurement, which put their noise level at 88 decibels.
The decision has faced a backlash, with more than 4,000 people signing a petition calling on the council overturn the decision to close the 40-year-old playground.
“It’s a bizarre situation, and it is absolutely unfair to the children,” Janneke Colsen, the director of the primary school, told the de Volkskrant newspaper.
“Especially now we’re constantly being told that children have to go outside and exercise more.”
Repeated efforts to appease local residents – including moving music lessons inside – had already been made, Ms Colsen added.
Source: BBC
