Move to scrap plans over cuts to crossing patrols quashed

Staffordshire County Council announced plans to stop paying for the 248 patrols and instead urge businesses and communities to pick up the task under its proposals for 2019/2020.

It is a move that would save the cash-strapped authority £290,00 in 2019 and £250,000 the following year – but the deputy opposition leader appealed to the council to reconsider the plan at its meeting last week.

The council instead voted in favour of an amendment urging residents to take part in the ongoing consultation so cabinet can take it into consideration.

Councillor Charlotte Atkins said thousands of people have signed petitions against the move, which will be presented to the council in February.

Moving the original motion, Councillor Atkins said: "The current proposed cut to school crossing patrols is £0.54million. So where will these local funds come from? Schools do not have huge reserves - otherwise why would not be laying off staff and teachers. Community groups would have to guarantee the money up front for at least a year. That is a lot of additional fund raising. Local councils have no appetite to pay for school crossing patrols in their areas."

Helen Fisher, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “We are currently facing a £35m funding next year due to record spending on care, at a time when national funding has fallen.

“As we have already reduced our own running costs by £240m over the past nine years we have had no choice but to look at savings across some non-statutory areas, including very reluctantly school crossing patrols.

“We all know they do a wonderful job, that isn’t in dispute, but we do need to look at how they can be continue to be funded if we can no longer do so.

“Although this is still a proposal, one option would be for us to offer the management, training and uniform of patrol with communities providing the funding. This has already worked well in parts of the county and is something we think could be replicated in other areas.”

Find out more, have your say before December 31 and download a fundraising pack at staffordshire.gov.uk/patrols