AGENDA ITEM: 5
BOROUGH OF POOLE
TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP - 8 JANUARY 2015
REPORT OF THE HEAD OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
ON PETITION REQUESTING THE REINSTATING OF THE SCHOOL CROSSING PATROL ON ALBERT ROAD
PART OF THE PUBLISHED FORWARD PLAN YES
- PURPOSE
1.1This report considers a petition to reinstate the School Crossing Patrol at Albert Road for the safety of children attending Heatherlands Primary School.
1.2School Crossing Patrols support walking to school and help promote health and wellbeing of children on their journey to school.
- DECISION(S) REQUIRED
It is recommended that the Portfolio Holder be asked to approve that:
2.1The residents are thanked for their petition requesting the reinstatement of the School Crossing Patrol at Albert Road.
2.2The petitioners are advised that the site does not currently meet the criteria adopted by the Council for the justification of a School Crossing Patrol.
2.3The site is monitored again when the school is operating at full capacity.
2.420mph roundels are laid on the approaches to theformer School Crossing Patrol point
- BACKGROUND/INFORMATION
3.1School Crossing Patrols (SCPs) are provided at 20 sites in the borough to support primary school aged children walk to school. SCPs are provided where children are in danger from road traffic when walking to and from school. This is not necessarily directly outside a school but could be anywhere on a direct route. The average cost of providing a School Crossing Patrol is £4,000 per annum (salary, uniform and equipment).
3.2The Council has the power to provide SCPs but this is not a duty. Parents/Carers remain responsible for the safety of their children travelling to and from school.The Council uses guidelines produced by the Road Safety GB School Crossing Patrol Advisers Group for the operation of School Crossing Patrol sites and for the consideration of new locations for patrols.
3.3A petition containing 109 signatures was presented to Council on 18 November 2014 by Councillor Eades. The petition is headed “Crossing Patrol Petition November 2014” and states, “We the undersigned residents of Poole and parents of children at Heatherlands Primary School, wish to reinstate the crossing patrol on Albert Road. This is for the safety of our children.” A map of the area showing the previous location of the SCP is attached as Appendix A.
3.4The SCP on Albert Road was withdrawn in 2009 due to the numbers of pedestrians and vehicles at the crossing point not meeting the required number recommended in the Road Safety GB Guidelines.
3.5In 2013 with the change in the Age of Transfer Heatherlands First School became a Primary School (to meet the increasing need for junior school places) and the numbers began to grow in 2013. This means the top year group did not transfer to a junior school, and it will reach full size in September 2015 (will have a full complement of Reception through to year 6).
3.6The expected growth of the school is as follows:
- 2012/13 Reception, year 1, year 2 and year 3 (total 360 places)
- 2013/14 Reception, year 1, year 2, year 3 and year 4 (total 450 places)
- 2014/15 Reception, year 1, year 2, year 3, year 4 and year 5 (total 540 places)
- 2015/16Reception, year 1, year 2, year 3, year 4, year 5 and year 6 (total 630 places)
3.7Since September2013 the school has grown by an additional 90 pupils per year and this will continue until September 2015 when the school will be at its maximum size.
- ROAD SAFETY GB GUIDLEINES
4.1The SCP criteria uses the PV2 formula as its basis where P = Number of Pedestrians and V = Number of Vehicles) to establish whether the combined numbers of vehicles and pedestrians supports the need for a crossing. If a PV2 of greater than 4 million is achieved, an SCP location can be justified.
4.2Counts are undertaken during the busiest 30 minute period to establish the maximum PV2 value. Observations undertaken at the Albert Road site in May 2014 and in September 2014 found that even the highest figures used, which were less than 100 vehicles and a maximum of 25 pedestrians crossing, gave a PV2calculation of 250,000. This means that the site currently falls well short of qualification for a School Crossing Patrol under the guidelines. It is therefore not recommended to provide an SCP at the Albert Road site. However, it is appropriate to continue to monitor the numbers of pedestrians and vehicles as the numbers of pupils attending Heatherlands Primary School continues to increase.
4.3If the Council were to introduce SCPs at quieter locations than the Guidelines recommend, then there would still be many other locations where a SCP would provide more benefits for more pupils than would be provided at this location.
4.4There are, however, other measures that could be introduced to assist those pedestrians that are crossing in the area:-
a)An extension to the waiting restrictions in Albert Road and Recreation Road are currently being advertised to give better sightlines for pedestrians crossing at the junction. If there are any objections to the traffic order, these will be considered by the Alderney Branksome Area Committee on 7 January
b)It has been suggested that 20mph roundels could be laid on the approaches to the junction, and to the former SCP site to remind drivers that this is a 20mph zone.
- PLANNING IMPLICATIONS
5.1None
- FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
6.1Operating a School Crossing Patrol would cost approximately £4,000 per annum.
- LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
7.1There is no legal duty on the Council to provide School Crossing Patrols. The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 gave authorities the power to appoint SCPs to help children cross the road on their way to or from a school between the hours of 8.00am and 5.30pm. The Transport Act 2000 amended the hours of operation to be at the authority’s discretion and included adults in the permitted criteria.
8.RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
8.1Following assessment the Albert Road site is not considered a sufficiently high risk crossing point to justify a School Crossing Patrol.
9.EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
9.1Where justified, School Crossing Patrols principally support children of primary school age to walk to and from school.
10.CONCLUSIONS
10.1The Albert Road site does not currently meet the Council’s criteria for the provision of a School Crossing Patrol. However, given the increase in the numbers of pupils attending Heatherlands Primary School from September 2015 it is appropriate to continue to monitor the numbers of pedestrians and vehicles.