29th September 2011

WEYMOUTH: Lollipop victory on its way?

By Harry Walton

VICTORY is in sight today (Thursday) for campaigners trying to save a range of lollipop crossings in Dorset.

A policy development panel report on the School Crossing Patrol Service goes before the county council’s environment overview committee today.

It recommends that the authority scraps plans to save £200,000 through patrol service cuts and instead largely continues to fund lollipop crossings.

It means that the county council will continue to fund crossing patrols but will withdraw funding – a saving of about £35,000 – from those crossings that don’t meet national criteria and those sites where a school crossing patrol currently operates on the highway at a formal crossing or where a formal crossing is provided in its place in future.

Ten sites which could lose funding from April 1, 2012, include one in Quibo Lane serving Weymouth’s Conifers School.

Delighted campaigner Helen Toft, who has led the fight to save lollipop crossings, said she hoped today’s meeting would agree the recommendations and put them forward for final approval by the county council’s cabinet on October 5th.

She added: “We have fought for nearly a year but the end is now in sight and I hope the county council does agree to continue to support most crossings because they are an absolutely vital public service and the most cost effective way of looking after children’s safety.”

Holy Trinity lollipop lady Nicky Hope is keeping her celebratory champagne on ice and said: “I want to see it in black and white first.

“I will be so pleased if most of the crossings including Holy Trinity are reprieved.

“I have every belief in the campaigners led by Helen and I will celebrate with everyone when we get the result the crossings deserve.”

PICTURE: HERE'S HOPING - Holy Trinity lollipop lady Nicky Hope with Helen Toft