Council vow: ‘School crossings will still be safe’

WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL is insisting that school journeys this autumn will be safe despite work on new pedestrian crossings being halted.

Last month, the council’s Executive voted to approve plans to axe school crossing patrollers – affectionately known as lollipop men and women – in favour of unsupervised zebra, pelican or toucan crossings.

The decision was made despite more than 1,600 parents signing a petition forcing a council debate where Conservative councillors spoke in favour of the new crossings.

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Now the Liberal Democrats has called in the decision, forcing a halt to any work while it is reviewed by the Council’s overview and scrutiny committee when it meets on September 3.

The party is concerned that due process hadn’t been followed correctly.

Emmbrook Lib Dem Cllr Imogen Shepherd-DuBey said: “Over 1,600 people signed a petition against the blanket removal of our remaining Lollipop Ladies and I cannot see that Wokingham Borough Council is making the decision with the best interests of its residents at heart.

“WBC seems to be thinking more about money than the safety of our children. We have evidence that these crossings may not only be less safe but also may not be cheaper either. We are going to hold the ruling Conservative group to account on this matter.”

And the concerns were echoed by Norreys Labour councillor

Rachel Burgess.

She told The Wokingham Paper: “The Executive repeatedly state that they have performed road safety audits in all of these school crossing locations – what they fail to mention is that they are not taking the results of these audits fully into account. For example, in Keephatch Road the audit found two significant problems with the Executive’s proposals – but they plan to go ahead anyway.

“Wokingham’s Conservatives say they are listening – when

98% of those who replied to the consultation did not support the school crossing proposals, this statement appears ludicrous beyond belief.”

However, the Conservatives’ executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Anthony Pollock, defended his party’s decision, insisting that the alternative crossing methods were safe.

He said: “We respect the call-in process as a valuable transparency check and balance on decisionmaking in Wokingham Borough and in all local government. But this means it would be wrong to discuss the claims involved or pre-empt the debate due to be had in public at that meeting on September 3, at 7pm in Shute End.

“Notwithstanding that, we can confirm that we will have safe school crossing provision in place for the autumn term, regardless of the outcome of that meeting.

“What we are proposing is safe, meets national standards, and has been already used successfully in both Wokingham Borough and across the country for many years.”