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: