Funding for lollipop men and women could be scrapped

A proposal to be discussed at Lancashire County Council’s full council meeting on Thursday could scrap the £4,500 contribution to each of the Fylde coast’s primary school crossing patrols.

County highways boss John Fillis said: “The county council continues to face unprecedented levels of cuts. Between 2010 and 2018 we will have made savings of £547 million, which mean difficult decisions.

“We must look at every area of our spending very closely, particularly those services which we are not legally obliged to provide such as school crossing patrols.”

A year ago the authority’s Labour bosses proposed to halve their contribution to primary school crossing patrols, but plans were dropped after widespread protests.

There are currently 394 crossing patrol staff employed by the county council, 334 are at ‘fixed point’ patrols and the remainder are mobile, providing cover where there are vacancies or sickness.

Lancashire County Coun Paul Rigby said: “The Conservative Group will oppose this outrageous proposal at the Council’s budgetary meeting this Thursday, and I hope that the Liberal Democrat Group will support us.”

County Coun Tim Ashton said: “In effect, the County Council would be forcing Head Teachers to make a choice between spending their school’s scarce resources on the safety of children on their way to and from school, or on their education. This is grossly unfair.”

Terry Godbert, chairman of Blackpool and Fylde’s Advanced Motorists said that a “child’s life cannot be worth much” in the minds of the council.

He said: “Getting rid of the crossing patrols would mean that children’s lives are going to be in extreme danger, lollipop men and women do a wonderful job across the country.”

“If they do indeed start doing away with patrols then it’s an absolutely ridiculous thing to do.

“For the sake of saving a little money, a child’s life cannot be worth much in the minds of the council, they need to cut down costs somewhere else.”