More than £400,000 is set to be taken from schools’ funding in Manchester to safeguard dozens of lollipop crossings.
Town hall chiefs will this week ask headteachers to approve the use of money from the education budget.
It will cover a funding gap to safeguard 57 crossings used by the city’s school pupils. The move comes after an M.E.N. campaign to save our lollipop ladies and men from the axe.
The council launched a review of all patrols after government cuts left it with a deficit of £800,000 in its school-crossing budget. Town hall officers rated each patrol red, amber or green, according to whether it was considered high, medium or low risk. Councillors pledged to safeguard all red and amber sites following the M.E.N. campaign, which saw more than 2,000 people – including hundreds of children – sign our petition.
While money for the most dangerous red crossings was guaranteed at the time, the council said the cash for amber funding would be confirmed in the new year. Now the town hall’s schools forum – made up of councillors, officers and school representatives including headteachers – will be asked to approve the use of money from the dedicated schools grant.
Afzal Khan, the council’s executive member for children’s services, said: "Children’s safety is paramount – we’ve always been clear on this and worked hard to make sure the ambers and reds are saved despite the very difficult situation Manchester council has found itself in as a result of unfair coalition cuts.
"We will do everything we can to make sure our children’s safety isn’t compromised. We have looked at all options and believe this to be the best and fairest solution."
Paul Andrews, the council’s executive member for neighbourhood services, said: "I’m looking forward to the schools forum making the right decision to support us and ensure we keep the amber crossings operating and comply with what we agreed following the M.E.N petition. This has been a joint effort from everybody across council departments and I’m really very grateful for the support that education and children’s services have provided."
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And this from the council which has failed to collect £11m in Council Tax, failed to recoup money owed to it, and spends cash on stuff like the Manchester Day Parade and >100k salaries for top council execs. Anybody else think that Manchester Labour have the wrong priorities?
I love how the MEN still believe that it was due to their "campaign" and petition.
and gave £600K (and a piece of green land for free) to a semi professional football team with shareholders, so they can build a football stadium in Moston.
In Sale there are at least 3 Lolly Pop people who patrol at a Zebra Crossing, why?
Be careful what you wish for....
This is one of the problems with the media frenzy getting involved in stuff. I am not saying that the council always get it right (not even close), or that they do not waste money on loads of things.
But what happens in this country is that somebody looks at a pot of money available, and decides how to spend it. If there is not enough, they look at where is best, in times of austerity, to cut.
Then the paper gets involved, and loads of people stand up and say, "Save our lollipops".But they never thought that if you save the lollipops, something else will have to go. We would all like things to carry on as the are, but there is not enough cash. So now will everyone stand up and say, "Save our school budgets". And if they do that, they will have to cut something else. And there will be uproar. "Save our parks", "Save our doctors", "Save our pensions".
There isn't enough money. They were going to cut the least necessary crossings (like the ones which are already zebra crossings). And now the people have had their say. You've made your bed -now lie in it. What did you think? The fairy godmother was going to pay for the lollipop patrols?
In Australia and new zealand the teachers do the crossing why cany they do it here as part of there job