Agenda item

Petition submitted by Annette Medhurst

A petition containing in excess of 1,500 signatures, which is the threshold to trigger a debate at Council, has been submitted relating to the removal of the school crossing patrol service:

 

“We the undersigned petition Wokingham Borough Council to abandon its proposal to remove school crossing patrol services at seven locations across the Borough at the end of this academic year (July 2018)”

 

A copy of the petition’s supporting statement is included in the agenda.

Minutes:

Annette Medhurst, the petition organiser and Diane Burch, addressed the meeting and set out the background to the petition.  Annette Medhurst commented that she was the Chairman of the Management Committee at Meadow Nursery School on Murray Road.  They had set up the petition after hearing of the proposal to remove seven school crossing patrollers across the Borough and to replace them with permanent pedestrian crossings.  It was felt that this would have a significant negative impact on children’s’ safety.  She went on to state that the role of the School Crossing Patroller was to provide a safe place for children, parents and carers to cross and broadly this was also the function of permanent pedestrian crossings.  However, data from the Department of Transport suggested that there were less accidents if a School Crossing Patroller was in place at school crossings as opposed to a permanent crossing feature.  Whilst ultimately it was the responsibility of parents and carers to ensure that their child travelled to and from school safely and drivers to drive responsibly, School Crossing Patrollers also helped to maintain traffic flow, helped to enforce parking restrictions and taught children about road safety.  Permanent pedestrian crossings could not do this.  Annette Medhurst stated that pedestrian crossings were an inferior solution to School Crossing Patrollers.  She suggested that Members and Officers visit Murray Road over a week to see some of the challenges experienced, first hand.

 

Diane Burch stated that she had been a School Crossing Patroller on Murray Road for eight years.  The crossing could be busy particularly if weather was poor or if there were delays in surrounding roads.  She disputed the assertion that School Crossing Patrollers often put their lives at risk by stepping into the road to stop traffic.  She felt that pedestrians using a zebra crossing would be stepping out into the road, with no guarantee that traffic would stop for them.  In 2015 the Council had made the decision to remove School Crossing Patrollers where there was a safe, viable mechanism for crossing the road.  The petitioners disputed that the permanent crossings provided this safe mechanism.  Diane Burch went on to refer to a consultation held in March 2017 of which only 9 of 393 respondents had supported the proposal to remove the school crossing patrol service. 

 

Members discussed the petition.  Several Members commented that School Crossing Patrollers had no legal basis for enforcing traffic restrictions and that zebra crossings and other permanent crossings provided safe traffic management mechanisms all day, every day and not just term time.  Some Members stated that there had not been an increase in accidents following the removal of School Crossing Patrollers in their wards.  Others referred to crossing points in their ward and commented that they felt that permanent pedestrian crossings were the safer solution.  It was drivers’ responsibility to obey stop signs and other highway regulations.

 

A number of Members suggested that the financial saving that the removal of the School Crossing Patrollers represented did not outweigh the value to the community that they provided.  School Crossing Patrollers helped to teach children road safety awareness and were well respected members of the school community.  A Member referred to additional costs that permanent pedestrian crossings would bring such as ongoing maintenance costs.  Several Members were of the view that the installation of permanent pedestrian crossings represented an investment in the safety of the Borough’s children. 

 

The consultation process was questioned and a Member questioned whether 20mph speed limits outside schools at school start and finish times could be considered in addition, where appropriate.

 

It was confirmed that copies of the safety audits undertaken had been circulated to the relevant ward members. 

 

The following Motion was proposed by Andy Croy and seconded by Rachel Burgess.

 

‘This Council will abandon its proposal to remove school crossing patrol services at seven locations across the Borough at the end of this academic year (July 2018).’

 

Prior to a vote being held, six Members, in accordance with Rule of Procedure 4.2.15.5, requested that a recorded vote be taken on the proposed Motion.

 

The voting was as follows:

 

For

Against

Abstained

Prue Bray

Keith Baker

John Kaiser

Rachel Burgess

Parry Batth

Bill Soane

Gary Cowan

Laura Blumenthal

 

Andy Croy

Chris Bowring

 

Carl Doran

Jenny Cheng

 

Lindsay Ferris

Richard Dolinski

 

David Hare

Guy Grandison

 

Helen Power

Mike Haines

 

Imogen Shepherd-DuBey

Charlotte Haitham Taylor

 

Rachelle Shepherd-DuBey

Emma Hobbs

 

 

Tim Holton

 

 

Graham Howe

 

 

John Jarvis

 

 

Norman Jorgensen

 

 

Pauline Jorgensen

 

 

Dianne King

 

 

Abdul Loyes

 

 

Julian McGhee-Sumner

 

 

Ken Miall

 

 

Philip Mirfin

 

 

Stuart Munro

 

 

Barrie Patman

 

 

Anthony Pollock

 

 

Malcolm Richards

 

 

Angus Ross

 

 

Daniel Sargeant

 

 

David Sleight

 

 

Chris Smith

 

 

Wayne Smith

 

 

Simon Weeks

 

 

Oliver Whittle

 

 

Shahid Younis

 

 

Upon being put to the vote, the Motion was declared by the Mayor to have been lost.

 

The following Motion was proposed by Anthony Pollock and seconded by Ken Miall.

 

’The Council recognises the importance of safe routes to school.  The Council implemented a policy between 2003-08 using grants provided by the previous Labour Government to remove school crossing patrollers and replace them, with various schemes including zebra, toucan and pelican crossings.

 

These types of crossings are inherently safe, since they provide pedestrian/car management systems which are recognised by both pedestrians and motorists 24 hours a day, and not just when children are being walked to and from school.  Therefore this Council will continue with its capital programme to improve road safety in the vicinity of schools by building new zebra, toucan or pelican crossings, as appropriate, in accordance with the safety audits undertaken by independent Road Safety Experts.

 

These new crossings will replace the School Crossing Patrollers when they are completed and provide a safer environment as demonstrated by independent safety audits for children walking to and from school.

 

We recognise the fantastic contribution made by our School Crossing Patrollers, who have given their time to this role over the years and extend our heartfelt thanks for their sterling service to our community.  However, we cannot support the action that the petition requests, and we ask the Executive to take Council’s view into account when making their decision.’

 

Prior to a vote being held, six Members, in accordance with Rule of Procedure 4.2.15.5, requested that a recorded vote be taken on the proposed Motion. 

 

The voting was as follows:

 

For

Against

Abstained

Keith Baker

Prue Bray

John Kaiser

Parry Batth

Rachel Burgess

Bill Soane

Laura Blumenthal

Gary Cowan

 

Chris Bowring

Andy Croy

 

Jenny Cheng

Carl Doran

 

Richard Dolinski

Lindsay Ferris

 

Guy Grandison

David Hare

 

Mike Haines

Helen Power

 

Charlotte Haitham Taylor

Imogen Shepherd-DuBey

 

Emma Hobbs

Rachelle Shepherd-DuBey

 

Tim Holton

 

 

Graham Howe

 

 

John Jarvis

 

 

Norman Jorgensen

 

 

Pauline Jorgensen

 

 

Dianne King

 

 

Abdul Loyes

 

 

Julian McGhee-Sumner

 

 

Ken Miall

 

 

Philip Mirfin

 

 

Stuart Munro

 

 

Barrie Patman

 

 

Anthony Pollock

 

 

Malcolm Richards

 

 

Angus Ross

 

 

Daniel Sargeant

 

 

David Sleight

 

 

Chris Smith

 

 

Wayne Smith

 

 

Simon Weeks

 

 

Oliver Whittle

 

 

Shahid Younis

 

 

 

Upon being put to the vote, the Motion was declared by the Mayor to have been carried.

 

RESOLVED:  That the Council recognises the importance of safe routes to school.  The Council implemented a policy between 2003-08 using grants provided by the previous Labour Government to remove school crossing patrollers and replace them, with various schemes including zebra, toucan and pelican crossings.

 

These types of crossings are inherently safe, since they provide pedestrian/car management systems which are recognised by both pedestrians and motorists 24 hours a day, and not just when children are being walked to and from school.  Therefore this Council will continue with its capital programme to improve road safety in the vicinity of schools by building new zebra, toucan or pelican crossings, as appropriate, in accordance with the safety audits undertaken by independent Road Safety Experts.

 

These new crossings will replace the School Crossing Patrollers when they are completed and provide a safer environment as demonstrated by independent safety audits for children walking to and from school.

 

We recognise the fantastic contribution made by our School Crossing Patrollers, who have given their time to this role over the years and extend our heartfelt thanks for their sterling service to our community.  However, we cannot support the action that the petition requests, and we ask the Executive to take Council’s view into account when making their decision.

Supporting documents: