Stick your lollipop charges

NINETEEN schools have refused to pay Oldham Council to continue crossing patrols when they return after Easter.

Many of the schools will now go without lollipop men and women while others are considering raising cash to fund their own alternative schemes. The Chronicle reported in November how the council wanted schools to pay up to £5,377 for the service, provide their own school crossing patrols or go without — a move branded “dangerous penny pinching” by Oldham National Union of Teachers (NUT).

The provision of school crossing patrols is not a statutory service and — from April — all local schools will be responsible for funding their own. The council cut the service in a bid to save £187,000 per year, but bosses say they have been working with schools to review the current patrols and to agree which will continue using the service.

There are currently 37 school crossing patrols, of which 22 have agreed to each stump up the £5,377 for the patrols from April 15.

Seven new schools are taking up the service for the first time.

Discussions remain open with the 19 schools, which cover 15 patrols as some share, which are currently choosing not to continue with this service.

Meanwhile, Oldham Council has revealed that patrols by its safety car has resulted in the issue of a staggering 260 penalty charges at £70 a time for inconsiderate parking at schools.

Motorists parking at The Radclyffe were issued 46 penalties and Greenhill School had 40 — while the car, since November, only caught one driver out at both Hey with Zion and Popps Hall.

The authority says it is showing its “firm commitment to school and road safety” by funding a second safety car.

The vehicle’s mission is to stop the disruptive car parking that can endanger pupils’ lives at local schools.

This second car — named Kes (Keeping Everyone Safe) by local pupil Ellie Derbyshire in a schools competition — will soon also start visiting sites across the borough several times each term at the start and end of the school day.
to read the full version buy the Chronicle or read the digital editions the eChron and iChron.