School crossing patrol service will stop at 34 sites in Derbyshire

[Old Cruser]

We consulted on a range of proposals earlier this year, following an assessment of all the 189 sites where there is a school crossing patrol.

More than 1,500 responses were received, as well as 28 petitions and artwork and letters from five schools.

Cabinet today approved the following:

Ending the service at 34 sites where there are either zebra or light-controlled crossings.
Ending the lunchtime service − currently only at 7 schools
Keeping the service at 60 sites that don't meet specific criteria, but if employees leave these sites they will not be replaced. There are currently 19 sites not meeting the criteria that have become vacant following employees leaving their jobs.
Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, Councillor Dean Collins said:

"This time last year it looked like we might have to stop running the school crossing service because of the cuts we need to make to our budgets.
"But because we managed to find the funding to keep some of the service, by using public health money, we are able to keep most of the service.

"However I realise that many people will be disappointed that the school crossing patrol that they and their families use will go.

"We will always be willing to talk to any school or local business about continuing the service if they can find the money to pay for it."


Lets hope no child loses their life folks 

[Slacker]

I don't know why they ever went on light controlled crossings in the first place

[Fly]

To stop f** wit drivers from nipping through the lights and hitting kids I guess 

[rocky wolfbanger]

Classic example of money is more important than people, wait for tomorrow as we enter a very dark times.

[Slacker]

Lay the blame where it is, at the government that has taken £157M off the county council

The pothole problem will get worse because almost everything on the roads is now surface repairs rather than any full depth reconstruction, Something's got to give

[bransoj]

To stop f** wit drivers from nipping through the lights and hitting kids I guess 

If they are going to ignore a red light then a bloke with a big lollipop in the middle of the road isnt going to make a lot of difference to stopping them doing it!

[therealjr]

Like I  said before politics dictate that you cut something that can be seen to have a 'social' effect so that the blame can be placed elsewhere. In answer to Slackers question it's perfectly obvious what has happened. Someone in Ivory Tower department A decides Road is dangerous to cross, crossing patrol person is utilised. Someone in the 'ivory tower department B decided road is still dangerous to cross outside of school coming and going hours so they instal a pelican. Trouble is dept b either don't tell dept a what they have done or dept a don't have the sense to redeploy the crossing patrol. Hence now there are so many that have to go.

[Fly]

If they are going to ignore a red light then a bloke with a big lollipop in the middle of the road isnt going to make a lot of difference to stopping them doing it!

The red light won't have the ability to report a bad driver, the bloke with the lollipop should have 
Welcome to chesterfieldonline 

[Slacker]

Like I  said before politics dictate that you cut something that can be seen to have a 'social' effect so that the blame can be placed elsewhere. In answer to Slackers question it's perfectly obvious what has happened. Someone in Ivory Tower department A decides Road is dangerous to cross, crossing patrol person is utilised. Someone in the 'ivory tower department B decided road is still dangerous to cross outside of school coming and going hours so they instal a pelican. Trouble is dept b either don't tell dept a what they have done or dept a don't have the sense to redeploy the crossing patrol. Hence now there are so many that have to go.

When i was a governor at Whitecotes the speed limit was reduced from 40 to 30 and a pelican installed hence no need for a lollipop person. Seen to think they were employed by the police at one time. Sensible approach would be to hand the service over to schools to make their own mind up whether they need the service,they have the local knowledge. they could decide whether to fund it or perhaps decide to go with more cost effective option of using someone from their own staff as realisticallyat home time they probably only need 15 minutes

[Old Cruser]

When i was a governor at Whitecotes the speed limit was reduced from 40 to 30 and a pelican installed hence no need for a lollipop person. Seen to think they were employed by the police at one time. Sensible approach would be to hand the service over to schools to make their own mind up whether they need the service,they have the local knowledge. they could decide whether to fund it or perhaps decide to go with more cost effective option of using someone from their own staff as realisticallyat home time they probably only need 15 minutes

Where do the schools get the money from to fund this?
As for using one of their own staff, I doubt that would go down well with the staff

[Slacker]

School budgets are more protected than rest of the public sector. £1M off highway maintenance budget this year.

Can solve anything with infinite budget; could cure my flood issues by building a a dome over the north eastern chunk of Derbyshire 

However we are in the real world so any suggestion of alternative things to cut?

[therealjr]

Derbyshire Poet Laureate? And I'm also a bit of a loss as to why dcc have put £27m into getting fibre optic broadband setup. Surely In these hyper competitive times all the service providers are clamouring to do it?

[Big Dave 2]

If it hadn't been for DCC getting iinvolved with fibre broadband, I doubt I'd be having it installed on August 4th and I live in the middle of Chesterfield, connected to a cabinet deemed 'not financially viable to upgrade' by BT. There are 70-ish other houses all connected to the same cabinet; a huge 'broadband black hole' in the middle of town.

[Pete]

What Dave said - except no promises for our street, despite all the roads around us have it.

Experience the Middle Ages - Come to Compton Street...