Towcester Town Council has voted to part fund the cost of providing the lollipop lady who helps children cross Vernon Road outside a Towcester Primary School. Parents who have campaigned to keep the service say they are delighted with the news.

Conservative controlled Northamptonshire County Council cut funding for all school crossing patrols as part of their plans to make savings of £73 million. I have been supporting parents and proposed at a recent planning and resources committee that  Towcester Town Council help support the scheme. My proposal was accepted unanimously but now has to be ratified by a meeting of the full council.

Vernon Road is a dangerous place for children and with more development planned at Wood Burcote traffic will increase in future years. Town councillors are angry and concerned that Northamptonshire County Council is again shirking their responsibilities, leaving the town to pick up the bill. NCC is quite simply bringing in double taxation, with Towcester residents paying twice for services that should be provided by the county council.

Towcester’s Liberal Democrat Councillor Chris Lofts says, “The town council is to urge NCC to either continue longer term funding or provide safety improvements to the road. Our Tory county councillor’s suggestion that parents volunteer to run the patrol themselves is completely unworkable. Unlike the Conservatives, Towcester’s Liberal Democrats are pledged to support parents in their fight to keep our local children safe.”