At the Full Council meeting on Tuesday 7 December 2021, a question was asked about the School Crossing Patrol (SCP) on Wells Road to assist children crossing to Hillcrest Primary School. There was disappointment when the Mayor confirmed that the School Crossing Patrol is “not considered the best use of resources at this point.” The full question and answer is reproduced below, and can also be found here: (Public Pack)published answers to public forum Dec FC 2021 Agenda Supplement for Full Council, 07/12/2021 15:00 (bristol.gov.uk)
QUESTION PQ32
Subject: School Crossing Patrol on Wells Road
Question submitted by: Anna Boulter
In 2017 the School Crossing Patrol (SCP) on Wells Rd by the junction with Cemetery Rd. was earmarked for termination by BCC. The reasons given at the time were due to budget constraints caused by austerity and the fact that an engineered crossing already exists on the site. As you will remember, the parents and children of Hillcrest Primary School in Totterdown, which was served by the SCP, successfully demonstrated the irrefutable need to uphold the SCP on this site given the extremely dangerous nature of this stretch of road and that the cost of maintaining it was a) a very small fraction of the council’s budget and b) incomparable to the cost of a child’s life. At the time the council concluded that we were right and agreed not only to keep the SCP but to recruit a replacement for Paul Whitmell, who was manning the post at the time, once he retired. The recruitment started just as the pandemic was beginning and the first lockdown began in the month before Paul’s retirement. Obviously, the pandemic has blown many things out of the water but the SCP on the Wells Rd has remained conspicuously absent ever since. In August I wrote to Don Alexander, cabinet member for Transport to enquire about the position and what was happening. In November Don finally informed me that BCC were not intending to replace the SCP because it was not their policy to recruit SCP’s where an engineered crossing already exists. When I, and now other parents from the school, reminded him that the argument against this had already been convincing made and agreed with, Mr Alexander responded that recruitment was not possible due to budget constraints and suggested we fill in the consultation about improving the number 2 bus route.
Mr Rees, the engineered crossing site on the Wells Rd continues to be extremely dangerous, with many recent incidents of cars, bikes, lorries and now Voi scooters jumping the red light there at speed. In the time it takes for your road safety consultation to conclude and for any resulting measures to be put in place, serious injury or heaven help us, worse could have easily occurred. We need action NOW. To recruit an SCP would be the quickest and most cost effective solution to safeguard our children from the present and immediate danger posed at the crossing site.
So my question on behalf of the Hillcrest Primary School community, parents and children alike, is this:
Given that both Mr Alexander’s stated reasons for not proceeding to recruit have been categorically dismissed and that BCC have themselves agreed with the strength of our argument and agreed that the position should be upheld, when will you be recommencing the recruitment procedure for the School Crossing Patrol for Hillcrest Primary School on Wells Rd?
Reply:
The need for a crossing patrol is always reviewed if the circumstances at a site change, or if a member of staff leaves or retires. No commitment has been given to replace the Hillcrest Crossing Patrol. The recruitment that is referred to in the question was an unsuccessful attempt to recruit a temporary person to cover sickness absence and was not for a permanent replacement. The A37 Wells Road is a very busy road which is why a signal-controlled crossing was installed at that location in order to provide the safest way of crossing for everyone. It is recommended by Road Safety GB that School crossing Patrols should not be located at signal-controlled crossings as there is duplication of resources and the patrol can get out of sync with the lights, which can cause confusion to drivers and increase the likelihood of children being in the road when the traffic lights are green. Supplementing the signal-controlled crossing with a School Crossing Patrol is not considered the best use of resources at this point in time.