Agenda Item No

 

The Vale of Glamorgan Council

 

Cabinet Meeting: 8th June, 2011

 

Report of the Cabinet Member for Planning and Transportation

 

Review of School Crossing Patrol Service - Terms of the Review and Timescale

 

Purpose of the Report

1.             To seek agreement on the proposals to review the Council's School Crossing Patrol Service and to agree a timescale for the undertaking of the review and consulting on the same.

Recommendations

1.             That a review of all Vale of Glamorgan School Crossing Patrol sites be undertaken and consultation be undertaken with all Ward Members, Schools, Governing Bodies and Town and Community Councils as part of that review.

2.             The findings of the review of the School Crossing Patrol sites be reported back to Cabinet for further consideration prior to implementation.

3.             That alongside the review of the School Crossing Patrol sites, a School Crossing Patrol Policy be drafted.

4.             That the draft School Crossing Patrol Policy be reported back to Cabinet prior to consultation.

Reasons for the Recommendations

1.             To assess the requirement for a School Crossing Patrol Service on all current sites within the Council's area.

2.             To apprise Cabinet of the findings of the review and to seek agreement of the review findings prior to implementation.

3.             To provide a policy on the School Crossing Patrol Service.

4.             To agree the terms of the policy prior to wider consultation on the same.

Background

2.             The School Crossing Patrol Service is a non-statutory function of the Council which has operated in recent years under the terms of the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 (as subsequently amended in part by the Transport Act 2000).  The 1984 Act provided for the appointment of the School Crossing Patrols (SCP's) to help children cross the road on their way to or from school.

3.             The Local Authority Road Safety Officer Association (LARSOA) has produced a document entitled School Crossing Patrol Service Guidelines (June 2008) and the provision of a school crossing patrol service in the Vale of Glamorgan follows these guidelines.  (A copy of the guidelines has been placed in the Members Room).

4.             Cabinet on the 21st February, 2011 considered a final proposal for the 2011/2012 revenue budget together with the savings targets for the period of 2011/2012 to 2013/2014.  In considering the matter, Cabinet resolved as follows:

(v)          That the Directorate of Environmental and Economic Regeneration prepare a report for Cabinet on the criteria of the risk assessment before existing school crossing patrols are withdrawn.

The reason for this resolution was to reduce risk to services.

5.             This report sets out the terms for the carrying out of a review of the School Crossing Patrol Services and seeks agreement to draft a policy for the provision of a School Crossing Patrol Service.

Relevant Issues and Options

6.             The LARSOA Guidelines referred to in paragraph 2 above contain advice and guidance on the provision of a School Crossing Patrol Service, including the consideration of reviewing sites and disestablishing sites (pages 18 and 19).  The Guidelines recommend the carrying out of reviews when circumstances change and examples given include road and traffic changes.  The Guidelines also advise that the introduction of a traffic management scheme could prompt a review.  The Guidelines also indicate that when disestablishing sites (either due to recruitment difficulties or due to the introduction change of road safety measures) there will be a need to communicate effectively the reasons for disestablishing that site.

7.             As a consequence, it is proposed to undertake a full review of all School Crossing Patrol sites in the Vale of Glamorgan.  The stages of the review are recommended as follows:

(i)           Collection of accident statistics for all sites.

(ii)          Surveys undertaken of all sites to assess the number of accompanied and unaccompanied children and adults using the site.  The surveys will also need to quantify the two way traffic at the sites.

(iii)         Sites will be divided into categories, as follows:

               (a)       Those with no crossing systems or infrastructure present.

               (b)       Those sites with uncontrolled or informal traffic management systems (such as red carpeting, narrowings and speed humps)

               (c)        Those with formal crossing systems such as zebra crossing and light controlled crossings.

(iv)         A full consideration of the advice offered in the LARSOA Guidelines.

(v)          A full risk assessment of these sites based on the risks posed to accompanied children.

8.             It is proposed to commence the review immediately.  As part of the review, it is also intended to write to all Schools, Governing Bodies, Ward Members and Town and Community Councils that a review is being undertaken and to allow all the opportunity to comment on the review.  It is anticipated that this communication will take place during the current summer term.

9.             The findings of the review will be reported to Cabinet for consideration prior to the implementation of any recommendations from that review.  In addition and given the status of the LARSOA document as guidelines it is also recommended that a School Crossing Patrol Service Policy be drafted for wider consultation.

Resource Implications (Financial and Employment)

10.        The review will be undertaken within existing budgets and staff resources.  The findings of the review will need to be reported to Cabinet in advance of progressing any actions arising out of the same.

Legal Implications (to Include Human Rights Implications)

11.        The provision of a School Crossing Patrol Service is non-statutory.  The legal and human right implications arising out of a consideration of the findings of a review and establishing a policy will be the subject of a subsequent report.

Crime and Disorder Implications

12.        None applicable to this report.

Equal Opportunities Implications (to include Welsh Language issues)

13.        None applicable to this report.

Corporate/Service Objectives

14.        The provision of a School Crossing Patrol Service related to the Departmental objectives of sustainable transport and the provision of a road safety service.

Policy Framework and Budget

15.        This report is a matter for Executive decision by Cabinet.

Consultation (including Ward Member Consultation)

16.        All Ward Members have been consulted on the report as there are potential implications from all wards.

17.        Councillor Bertin has offered the following comments:

1.           Safety is paramount and should be considered before cost.

2.           A full site risk assessment should be carried out at each site.

3.           Survey all crossings under the current guidelines and let us know the result.

4.           Can we hold public consultations with those crossings under threat?

5.           Sites earmarked for the loss of a crossing patrol should have sufficient road markings and signs in place.

6.           Can the review of Crossing Patrol Sites please be reported to Scrutiny before Cabinet?

18.        Councillor N Moore has offered the following comments:

"Thank you for the report, which is very welcome, although I would have thought that the recommendations are in the wrong order.

I would have proposed that:

1.           A draft School Crossing Patrol Policy should be formulated as an initial step, with that draft policy being reported to Cabinet and then put out to consultation. 

2.           This draft Policy as amended after the consultation, could then be finally considered by Cabinet with further consultation as necessary until a firm policy is finally agreed. 

3.           Then, and only then, should a review of the School Crossing Patrol Sites be considered when a ‘Policy’ is in place to work to. 

4.           The review of the School Crossing Patrol Sites should be a full and comprehensive review in consultation with all Ward Members, Schools, Governing Bodies and Town and Community Councils as part of that review.  

5.           Following the review of the School Crossing Patrol Sites, the findings should be reported to Scrutiny  and then back Cabinet for further consideration prior to implementation.

6.           I would also welcome a subsequent report back to the relevant Governors and Head Teachers that may be affected if the Cabinet has made any decision to withdraw any School Crossing Patrols at their School, so that any proposals affecting them can be considered, giving them reasonable time to allow them to put in place any alternatives that they considered necessary before the withdrawal of the School Crossing patrol is implemented.

I trust these comments will be reported to Cabinet."

19.        In terms of the comments made, full consultation is proposed as part of the undertaking of a review of sites and the formulating of a policy.  The formulating of a policy and the undertaking of a review of sites should be undertaken in parallel as the policy document will need to refer to issues relating to site selection, parameters for inclusion and exclusion of sites and the processes of undertaking a review of sites in future.  To undertake to compile a policy document in the first instance would therefore prejudice the review and remove key issues requiring consultation for that review.  It is therefore critical that the review and policy formulation takes place at the same time and as part of the same process.

Relevant Scrutiny Committee

20.        Economy and Environment.

Background Papers

LARSOA: School Crossing Patrol Service Guidelines June 2008.

Contact Officer

Rob Thomas - Head of Planning and Transportation - Tel: 01446 704621.

Officers Consulted

Committee Reports - Legal

Finance, ICT and Property

Learning and Development - Paula Ham

Responsible Officer:

Rob Quick - Director of Environmental and Economic Regeneration.