Loss of School Crossing Patrols
Fifteen school crossing patrols will be lost throughout the county, including two within St Stephen, following a policy change by the county council. The crossing patrols by Perdiswell Primary School and St Barnabas Primary School are being removed because they have a...
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Worrying decline in bus user numbers is no surprise
A report released yesterday (https://www.transport-network.co.uk/New-bus-fall-shows-slow-death-of-local-buses/15101) shows that the number of people using buses in England fell again in the last financial year in the face of real-terms fare increases and...
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Am I a cycle-mad moron?
Worcester City Council is proposing to allow cycling in the pedestrianised area of the city centre. I think this is a sensible idea, although I understand that others disagree. The majority of cyclists understand the need to cycle differently depending on the...
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Become a trustee of Worcester Arts Workshop
I am a trustee at the Worcester Arts Workshop and we are looking for additional trustees, especially those with useful skills and connections. More details below: New trustees needed Worcester Arts Workshop is seeking 3-4 new Trustees to join our board and support an...
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Thanks for your votes
Thank you to everyone in the St Stephen division who voted for me at the county council elections. I hope that I can repay your support in me and the Green Party by working throughout the year to make St Stephen, Worcester and Worcestershire a better place. Top...
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Increasing commuter cycling: The Propensity to Cycle Tool
There is a very useful tool that can be used to help identify the best ways to increase commuter cycling in and around Worcester. See www.pct.bike/m/?r=hereford-and-worcester for Worcester. For instance, there is little cycling activity between the city centre and...
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Government stops councils having greater say over bus services
The Bus Services Bill went through its third reading in the House of Commons a couple of weeks ago. The bill includes a clause that would ban councils from setting up new public bus companies to provide bus services. This completely undermines the concept of giving...
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What Traffic Fumes Do to Our Children
Every year, we discover more about the harm being done to our children by the fumes that cars and other vehicles produce. By driving them to school and by sitting in our cars with the engines idling, we are helping to poison our own children. Here is what we now know...
read moreThe positive case for remaining in the EU
Much of the Remain campaign has been focused on the obvious negative economic impact of leaving the EU. Even many who favour leaving accept that there will be damage to the economy and jobs. However, the Leave campaign appears more positive because they can appeal to...
read morePoor Bus Service: Council Motion
I will be presenting the following motion at full council this coming Thursday: Following recent cuts to bus services by First Bus and ongoing issues with many bus services in the county, we have reached a point where we as a council are a long way from meeting our...
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The county council are refusing to change their policy on not allowing a school crossing patrol at a light controlled crossings, such as outside Perdiswell School. This is despite the evidence of parents viewing them as safest for their children.
The likely result will be that some parents will stop allowing their children to walk to school, thus creating more traffic on the congested roads in the area.
I am working with highways officers looking at ways to improve the safety of Bilford Road at school opening and closing time. But nothing will be as good a solution as having the SCP back.
Lollipoppers still guardians of the school crossing | Churchill UK
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Research by motor insurance specialists, Churchill Insurance, identifies lollipop men and women as the safest school crossing option according to parents and childrenMore bus services being cut by First.
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These are the 15 schools in the county that will be losing their school crossing patrols (Lollipop person). The rationale for this cut is supposedly not cost savings as it only costs about £3000 per year per SCP. Rather, it is because central government policy has changed and it is deemed unnecessary duplication to have a SCP if there is zebra or light controlled crossing.
Two of the schools to lose their SCP are in the St Stephen division, St Barnabas and Perdiswell.
I am very concerned about the negative impact this will have. Losing a SCP will reduce safety, even with a crossing in the area. Certainly many parents will perceive it as being less safe. As a result, some will no longer let their children walk or cycle to school and will instead drive them to school. As a result, we will have more cars, more pollution and more unhealthy children. How can this be squared with the council's responsibility for public health?
If a school wants to keep their SCP, then I will do what I can to ensure that they are retained.
This policy change seems completely pointless to me: Tiny amount of money saved; reduction in safety of children; probable increase in pollution. congestion and childhood obesity.
Bus journey numbers fell by nearly 12% in Worcestershire last year and have fallen 35% from 2011 to 2017.