AN INVESTIGATION into the cost of replacing school crossing patrollers has been called for after it was revealed that it will cost £400,000 to replace the much-loved lollipop men and women.
Last week, Wokingham Borough Council announced that it is to build eight new pedestrian crossings over the summer, promising that they would provide “safe 24-hour a day crossings for all residents” rather than the lollipop men and women who work around the start and end of school days.
The news comes after a public consultation – which has not been published – concluded. The council said that responses revealed that “[it] did not highlight any specific safety issues relating to the removal of School Crossing Patrollers, [instead] many comments focused on wider issues outside the remit of School Crossing Patrollers”.
Executive member for highways, Cllr Keith Baker said: “We do not take a decision such as this lightly. We looked carefully at the consultation responses and it is clear that some parents like the reassurance of a school crossing patroller.
“But it is also clear that permanent crossings are a safe alternative. Last year, we removed patrollers from locations that had permanent crossings and there have been no issues around the pedestrian crossing providing safe passage for school children.
“In fact, the crossings have provided a safe way for all pedestrians, including pupils and parents, crossing the road. Furthermore, it has increased the safety for crossing these roads outside of school times.”
Zebra crossings will be installed at:
- St Paul’s Junior & Walter Infant Schools, Wokingham
- Woodley CofE Primary School, Woodley
- Willow Bank Infant & Junior Schools, Woodley
- Keep Hatch Primary School, Wokingham
- South Lake Primary School, Woodley
While a signal-controlled crossing will be installed outside:
- Polehampton CofE Infant & Junior Schools, Twyford
- Oaklands Primary School
- Loddon Primary School
A 20mph speed limit zone will be introduced in Norreys for All Saints CE Primary School.
The cost of installing the crossing was not revealed by the council in their press briefing. It has taken a probe by The Wokingham Paper to uncover the figures.
Documents considered by the personnel board that met on Tuesday evening said that the cost saving this year would be £18,049, while for the next two years there would be no saving: instead the council would fork our £39,000 instead.
However, a spokesperson for the council said that the revenue saving for removing the school crossing patrol service would be £85,000 a year.
Previous indications had been that each crossing would cost around £70,000 to install, however now that feasibility studies have been completed, the council thinks that the cost will be between £350,000 and £400,000.
Cllr Lindsary Ferris, the Liberal Democrat leader, is calling for an investigation into these figures.
He told the personnel board: “It needs to be remembered that Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) has to borrow money to pay for the Pedestrian Crossings. I have seen no reference to there being a Grant.
“If we take these other costs into account they total between £14k and £28k per annum. I therefore cannot see the level of savings projected in this paper.”
And the decision to remove the patrollers has been criticised by other councillors as well as parents.
Cllr Imogen Shepherd-DuBey, Liberal Democrat member for Emmbrook, said: “I do not understand this decision to remove School Crossing Patrollers.
“I thought Wokingham Borough Council was short of money, but Automated crossings are much more expensive to build and maintain? Unlike a person, they are not able to engage with the children, predict how cars move or teach road safety.
“Essentially we are paying a lot of money for something that is not as good and I don’t see the sense in it.
“Wokingham Borough Council has not published the results of the consultation from last year. It would we good to understand more of the decision making progress that led us here.”
Cllr Rachel Burgess, Labour member for Norreys, said: “School crossing patrollers provide a vital service and contribute enormously to our sense of community in Wokingham.
“What the Conservatives don’t seem to realise is that school crossing patrollers do far more than allow children and their parents or carers to safely cross the road.
“As well as teaching children about road safety, especially looking out for those children who are learning to walk to school on their own, they help to enforce parking regulations and manage traffic flow, they help children negotiate often difficult junctions, they prioritise pedestrians when others are not, and they help to reduce the speed of traffic around our schools.
“Despite local protest the Council is not listening. We are losing two patrollers in my ward of Norreys alone – this decision could significantly impact children’s safety and well-being, as well as being a blow to the community as a whole.”
The decision has also been met with dismay from parents.
Annette Medhurst, who spearheaded a campaign to save The Meadow’s ‘Mrs Lolly’, said: “he school crossing patrollers work very limited hours, term time only, so surely it will take years and years before it becomes cost effective.
“I cannot really comment on the other sites but Murray Road struggles with very heavy traffic due to the schools but also its proximity to the station and many drivers use it as a cut through from Reading Road to Barkham Road. I think that this makes it an exceptional location.
“I don’t believe that we need a road crossing at all times so I find it incredible to believe that this can be a cost effective decision.
“In the region of 50 children leave early years settings (Walter Infants and Meadow Nursery School) at 11.30am and at that time a school crossing patroller isn’t needed.
“The footfall of pedestrians and volume of traffic outside of the school run isn’t significant enough to require a permanent crossing, therefore I don’t accept the argument that the installation of a crossing will bring great benefit to the wider Murray Road community.
“Our petition did reach more than 1,500 signatories, this has been confirmed by democratic services. I am still waiting to here about when this will be debated, the decision will be taken by the borough mayor.
“I am very angry about the decision to replace the SCPs with permanent crossings but I am also really very sad about this turn of events. I consider it very shortsighted.”
What do you think? Send your views to letters@wokinghampaper.co.uk
