Agenda item

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.

7.1       The Committee considered a report by the Director of CET which provided a twelve month update on the implementation of the recommendations from the Scrutiny Review of alternative funding for school crossing patrols.

7.2       Brian Banks, Road Safety Team Manager, introduced the report and outlined the latest update to the recommendations, including the updated information for schools and funding sources in appendix 3 of the report.

7.3       The number of school crossing patrol sites that ESCC funds is relatively static and there is little growth in the number of patrols. At present there are 29 sites funded by ESCC, 21 sites funded by sponsorship, and 5 operated by volunteers. The Road Safety Team Manager tabled an up to date list of all school crossing patrol sites.

7.4       In regard to the 13 sites that ESCC consulted on ceasing the funding for the school crossing patrol:

• 3 sites were re-assessed and found to meet the Council’s criteria for funding;
• 6 sites were sponsored; and
• 4 sites were closed (two had patrol officer vacancies, and two were at light controlled crossings).

7.5       The Committee asked under what circumstances school crossing patrols are re-assessed to see if they meet ESCC’s criteria for funding. Officers responded that sites will be re-assessed if there is no patrol officer in post (e.g. due to retirement or a patrol office leaving). In addition, all sites are re-assessed every year (but not if they have been closed) by the School Crossing Patrol Supervisor and a site will be re-assessed if the Road Safety Team receives a request to do so.

7.6       The Committee commented that the possible sources of grant funding listed in “Funding News for Children and Young People” (appendix 3) was a general list that may give a false impression that there was a lot of funding sources available. It may be better to have a specific list of the funding sources that are prepared to fund school crossing patrols.

7.7       Officers responded that the Road Safety Team had taken advice from the ESCC funding advisor. There are no specific funding schemes that will fund a school crossing patrol, but there may be geographic or new funding streams that become available. The Assistant Director, Communities commented that he believes there is sufficient support for schools to find funding if they want to follow that option.

7.8       The ESCC Funding Team will provide advice to schools individually on the sources of funding that might be available for school crossing patrols. There is also support to seek funding for other schemes the school may want to fund and thereby release funding for crossing patrols if necessary. In addition, Academies can legitimately spend funds on school crossing patrols.

7.9       The Committee asked if crossings that have had their ESCC funding removed are re-assessed again. The Road Safety Team will re-assess any site if requested to do so, but does not have the resources to routinely assess all 130 primary school sites. Of the 6 sites that were sponsored following the removal of funding, it is not known whether the school is funding the crossing or the crossing is funded by external sponsorship. The Road Safety Team Manager said that he could find out and inform the Committee in due course.

7.10     The Committee sought further information on the number of light controlled crossings that are in use at school sites. The Road Safety Team Manager informed the Committee that since the Scrutiny Review report, three crossings have been installed (two zebra crossings and one Puffin light controlled crossing). In assessing a site for a Puffin crossing, the presence of a school crossing patrol would be taken into account as part of the site usage assessment.

7.11     The Committee RESOLVED to note the report and the progress made on implementing the recommendations of the Scrutiny Review.