STALYHILL SCHOOL CROSSING CAMPAIGN GATHERS PACE

GIVE US OUR LOLLIPOP LADY BACK! CLLRS DAVID BUCKLEY AND BASIL BEELEY (back row, sixth and fifth from right) WITH PARENTS AND CHILDREN CAMPAIGNING TO GET THEIR CROSSING PATROL RETURNED

The campaign to have a school crossing patrol reinstated for Stalyhill Junior and Infant Schools is gathering pace.

Over 270 parents and friends of the school have so far signed the petition urging Tameside Council to reinstate the patrol at the junction of Mottram Old Road and Hereford Way, which was withdrawn before Christmas when the schools’ lollipop lady left the role. Parents were informed that she would not be replaced due to ‘government cuts’, despite Tameside Council having a budget of approximately £300,000-per-year to fund road safety initiatives, and national criteria stating that the schools are entitled to a crossing patrol in order to safeguard children’s safety.

Campaigners argue that the lack of a school crossing patrol is endangering children’s safety, goes against the council’s very own safer walking to schools initiatives, and is causing increased congestion on Hereford Way. In addition, they are upset that Tameside Council still has money to waste on non-essential items such as Britain in Bloom and the Tameside Citizen council newspaper, and that there are other crossing patrols located at permanent pedestrian crossings across Tameside. The nearest pedestrian crossing to the Stalyhill schools is over a mile away.

Since the crossing patrol was withdrawn, the Junior school has seen increased instances of lateness caused by parents dropping their children off closer to the school, which has resulted in increased congestion. There has also been a minor car accident caused by the high volume of traffic.

Stalybridge Conservatives have been working with campaigners, collecting signatures for the petition and lobbying the council to change its mind.

Stalybridge South Conservative councillor, David Buckley, said, “What comes first, children’s lives or cuts? These people are not paid the earth, this crossing covers two schools and it is one cutback that shouldn’t happen.”

Sign the petition!

An online petition has been set up to run concurrent with the paper petition, and members of the public wanting to sign it can do so by clicking here.

Related articles

• Our children need lollipop lady on road (Manchester Evening News)
• Give us the lolly! (Tameside Reporter)