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Peterborough petition to save lollipop patrols to be considered

A petition calling to reinstate school crossing patrols at four primary schools in a city will be considered by City Council announced cuts to crossing patrols at primary schools in Eye, Old Fletton, Newark Hill and Werrington to save money, leaving lollipop men and women the petition was signed by 553 people, the council confirmed it would be debated at a full council meeting on 23 July. Nyree Ambarchian, who lives in Werrington and started the petition, said the parents of pupils were "horrified" by the action and wanted the council to re-examine the cuts. The authority said the cuts were "one of a number of difficult decisions" that needed to be made in order to balance the Ambarchian said: "The strength of feeling can be seen in how the petition gathered so many signatures so quickly."We're not sure why the council would take the very real risk that a small child will be injured for what is a relatively minuscule budget saving. "It seems like a dereliction of duty." 'Before tragedy strikes' Peterborough City Council said crossings and speed restrictions, such at 20mph zones, would be in place at each of the schools, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. At the full council meeting councillors will be able to either take the action requested, ask its officers to investigate, refer the decision to either cabinet or the relevant scrutiny committee for investigation or note the petition and comments but take no further action.A spokesperson for the petition said: "Let's not wait for a child to be injured or killed before we take action - we call on councillors to do it before tragedy strikes."School crossing patrols are an essential part of ensuring children can safely cross roads, particularly near busy schools and roads with high traffic volumes. "These patrols play a key and proven role in preventing accidents."Angus Ellis, a Labour councillor and cabinet member for environment and transport on the authority, said the council takes the concerns of school pupils and parents "extremely seriously". Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.