20 March 2014
The Conservative administration at County Hall is proposing to axe 54 school crossing patrols unless local schools fund them at a quoted cost of £5860 per year. The administration describes this as a move to "rationalise School Crossing Patrol sites".
These are crossings which ECC deems safe as they are on existing zebra or pelican crossings, yet there appears to be no assessment for individual sites, such as those which may be on zebra crossings but which are also on busy main roads.
ECC states it is
"looking for ways to work with schools to support parents’ responsibilities to ensure their children travel to and from school safely."
The authority wants feedback by 24th April 2014 and claims that
"no decision on the removal of School Crossing Patrols has yet been taken".
Cllr. James Abbott, Green Group Leader and County Councillor for Witham Northern said
"Many people are quite rightly angered by this disgraceful proposal by the Tories which is nothing less than ideological penny pinching and proves that austerity handed down from the Tories and Lib Dems in Westminster is being eagerly lapped up by Tories at County Hall.
It has been stated that the cuts will "save" about £300,000. Yet this is a fraction of the many £ milions that ECC "found" just a few weeks ago - when it decided to implement a 0% council tax change. At that time there was no mention of these proposed cuts - which the administration must have been considering. We keep being told that despite "savings", front line services are being maintained - this is clearly not true.
These proposed cuts to a much valued service are also in the ongoing context of ECC still lavishing free meals on councillors and high allowances and travel expenses by senior Tory councillors.
Alternative means of funding the crossing patrols are available. As well as cutting out free lunches, the administration could look to vire some funding from the Local Highways Panel revenue budgets, or from reserves, or from other budgets where there is a projected underspend. In the context of a £2 billion total budget it clearly could be done yet the Tories have deliberately chosen to put parents and children through the worry of yet another of its "consultations" - where we know what the outcome will probably be - as it was with Children's Centres and the Youth Service - big cuts.
School Crossing Patrols - lollipop men and women - have been a feature of our communities for many decades. The patrols provide reassurance to parents and children and help encourage children to walk to school. At a time when child obesity, road crashes that kill or injure children and congestion near schools are all policy priorities for action, it beggars belief that ECC should act in a way that undermines measures to reduce those problem areas."
Cllr. Michael Hoy, Green County Councillor for Rochford West said
"I have contacted a local school, the Riverside Primary at Hullbridge and they said they were unaware of this ECC proposal. Many schools may find themselves trying to find the money to retain their Crossing Patrols when they had no knowledge that they may need to budget for it.
I am amazed and shocked both at the proposal by ECC and the way they have announced it."
The Greens have written to the Cabinet Member at ECC and all councillors calling for the proposal to be immediately withdrawn and will be vigorously working with like-minded councillors to achieve that aim.
ECC is currently consulting on the proposed cuts to school crossing patrols and Green councillors urge all those concerned to take part:
Go to www.essexinsight.org.uk/consultations
and an online survey can be completed or by telephone 033301 39836.
Promoted by Grace Philip on behalf of Eastern Region Green Party European election candidate list, both c/o 27 Clarendon Road, Norwich, NR2 2PN.
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