Latest news with #KerriDeboo
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Peterborough parents fight to save school lollipop patrols
Almost 500 people have signed a petition calling for crossing patrols near schools to be saved from a council's budget 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 authority said it was "one of a number of difficult decisions" that needed to be made in order to balance the petition has called for the decision to be reviewed as parents fear a child could be injured or killed if no action was taken. Kerri Deboo, a parent of a pupil at Werrington Primary School, said: "We're really worried about something happening to a child and feel there's been no robust decision making around it."Lisa Bryan had been helping children cross the road outside Eye Church of England Primary School in Peterborough for more than 26 years. She is one of four workers losing their Berry, another parent, said: "[An accident] is really now a matter of time. I know it sounds dramatic, but it is a 'when', not an 'if' now." 'Massive impact' Ms Bryan said the loss of the crossing patrols will have a "massive impact"."The traffic doesn't stop for me so what makes them think it will stop for parents, whether there is a zebra crossing or not. In the mornings, it's a fighting battle every day," she councillors previously used their community funds to keep Ms Bryan's job until the next academic year, but nothing has been put in place yet for Ellis, a Labour councillor and cabinet member for environment and transport at Peterborough City Council, said: "A proposal to remove the school crossing patrol service at four schools in Peterborough was agreed as part of the council's budget for 2024/25."Crossings and or speed restrictions such as at 20mph zones are in place at each of the schools and we are also providing road safety education for pupils."The petition will close on 11 June and will then be submitted to a cabinet it reaches 500 signatures before the deadline, it will also be eligible for submission to a full council month parents held a protest outside the Eye Primary School calling for the decision to be reviewed. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Call for lollipop people to be brought back at Peterborough schools
Parents have called on a council to reinstate school crossing patrols before a "tragedy strikes".Peterborough City Council (PCC) cut the patrols (also known as lollipop people) near primary schools in Eye, Fletton, Newark Hill and Werrington in Cambridgeshire to help balance its parents want them brought back and in a petition, said their removal put "children's lives at risk".Angus Ellis, cabinet member for environment and transport at PCC told the BBC it was one of the "difficult decisions" councillors had to make, and "20mph zones are in place" near the schools. Mum Kerri Deboo, whose children attended Werrington Primary School, said she was "really concerned by the local authority's recent decision". "There are lots of different vehicles... often at quite high speeds despite the fact there are signs for the crossing," she said."There is no way my children - aged four and seven - can cross this road safely on their own. I would never feel safe that the cars would stop here."Parents at the schools protesting against the plans started a petition which 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." South Norfolk Labour MP Ben Goldborough said he had great support for lollipop people."Just opposite my constituency office, there is a brilliant one - Paul," he told BBC Politics East."They are not just about road safety, they are about community engagement and cohesion."They are the glue that binds our small villages and towns together."East Suffolk independent councillor Julia Ewart said: "The lollipop people are guardians of schools. "They make sure your children are getting there safely and they know children who aren't there, and that's important too."Conservative South Northamptonshire MP Sarah Bool added: "We need to give much more attention to how we keep our communities safe and particularly our little children." 'Education for pupils' Ellis said a "proposal to remove the school crossing patrol service at four schools in Peterborough was agreed as part of the council's budget for 2024-25". "It is one of a number of difficult decisions councillors have had to make to be able to balance the budget," he added. "Crossings and or speed restrictions such as 20mph zones are in place at each of the schools, and we are also providing road safety education for pupils." BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday 18 May at 10:00 GMT on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
