Issue - meetings

A paper taken to Cabinet on 23 February, recommending a budget for Full Council to consider on 2 March 2015, recommended to take the saving offered. This means the Council will stop providing the SCP service unless the school is prepared to pay for it. This report identifies measures and initiatives to mitigate the impact from the removal of the SCP service. It also outlines the timescales involved in completing the service deletion in line with the managing change policy.

(i)         that approval be given to the deletion of the School Crossing Patrol Service at the end of the academic year (20 July 2015), with the exception of schools that agree to pay for the service where SCPs would continue;

(ii)        that approval be given to the measures and initiatives set out in section 5.3 of the report to ensure that children, parents/carers and motorists are aware of the deletion of the SCP and that safety was maintained for child pedestrians.  

Councillor Crane (Lead Member, Environment) welcomed Lorraine Langham (Chief Operating Officer) and Chris Whyte (Operational Director, Community Services) to their new roles.

The report from the Chief Operating Officer identified measures and initiatives to mitigate the impact of the removal of the school crossing service agreed as part of the budget process in March 2015 following consideration at the Cabinet meeting on 23 February 2015. The service was discretionary and would only be provided for those schools that were prepared to pay for it. The report outlined the timescales involved in completing the service deletion in line with the managing change policy.

The majority of schools had either agreed to pay for the service from the academic year 2015/16 or were already paying jointly, three schools had indicated that they were unwilling or unable to pay and responses were awaited from approximately 12 schools who would be contacted directly. Councillor Crane assured that road safety measures and traffic controls would be improved. Gail Tolley advised that both headteacher and chair of governors would have been sent letters and some schools had decided not to fund and SCP in the light of the traffic calming measures to be put in place.

The Chief Legal Officer drew attention to the equalities assessment that had been circulated as a supplementary document.

The Cabinet agreed the recommendations in the report.

RESOLVED:

(i)         that approval be given to the deletion of the School Crossing Patrol Service at the end of the academic year (20 July 2015), with the exception of schools that agree to pay for the service where SCPs would continue;

(ii)        that approval be given to the measures and initiatives set out in section 5.3 of the report to ensure that children, parents/carers and motorists are aware of the deletion of the SCP and that safety was maintained for child pedestrians.