Town Council Saves Crossing Patrol

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.”

Parents Fight to Keep Crossing Patrol

Parents are campaigning to keep the lollipop lady who helps children cross Vernon Road outside Towcester Primary School.

Conservative controlled Northamptonshire County Council has withdrawn funding for all school crossing patrol services in the county as part of plans to make £73 million of savings. I have been supporting parents, who have started a petition to try to save the school crossing patrol service. A public meeting is being planned.

The petition already has hundreds of signatures and the support of the headteacher. Vernon Road is a busy road that joins the A5. It’s a very dangerous location, with more development planned that will only increase traffic in future years. Northamptonshire County Council says it would be prepared to continue running the school crossing patrol service if the community was able to come up with funding for it.

The Tory county councillor for Towcester has helpfully suggested parents volunteer to run the patrol themselves! NCC appear to be leaving Towcester residents to run public services themselves. No street lights, a library without funding for books and now no crossing patrol for Primary School kids. Together with Cllr Chris Lofts and local Lib Dems are pledged to support parents in their fight to keep our local children safe.

Concern Grows Over Switch Off

Concern is growing as more people are becoming aware of street lights in Towcester and across the county being switching off. A Liberal Democrat campaign to reinstate street lighting is being backed by local community groups, businesses and residents.

Local people are beginning to realise what the impact of turning off public lighting is having. Crime and fear of crime has been highlighted by Neighbourhood Watch. The AA and police are very concerned about the affect on road accidents.

I featured recently on BBC Radio Northampton who ran an item on the impact of the Conservative run county council’s big switch off.

Towcester Neighbourhood Watch say, “We… anticipate an increased feeling of insecurity and the fear of crime, with a loss of confidence in especially the elderly, vulnerable and young people in feeling safe taking a casual walk in the evening, walking to the shops or out with the dog, etc.”

Commenting Councillor Chris Lofts says, “Liberal Democrats will be supporting others at a Neighbourhood Watch organised public meeting to be held at Towcester Town Hall on 29 June at 7.30 pm. The total lack of consultation by the Tories has increased people’s anger over this short sighted policy of switching off street lights.”

NCC are negotiating a complex deal to replace street lights with energy efficient ones but there is no guarantee that this will happen. Even if lights are replaced, Tory run NCC admit that it will be well into 2012 before this happens. Towcester will be left in the dark over the bleakest winter months.

The safest and logical way would have been to replace the lights first, rather than plunge streets into darkness. This is inept planning by putting the cart before the horse!

Lights Go Out in Towcester

Tory controlled Northamptonshire County Council have been turning off Towcester street lights over the past few weeks. The decision to plunge Towcester and many areas across the county into darkness has been done to save money. Liberal Democrats on the county council have proposed more sensible ways of saving money.

Commenting district councillor Martin Johns says, “These are quite extreme measures from the Conservatives. The effects will become more noticed once we get into the autumn. Despite requests there has been no consultation on the details of this decision.”

Councillor Chris Lofts says, “Without any advance notice local representatives and local people have been excluded from being able to comment. I am very concerned that these cuts may put lives in danger.” Councillor Johns added, “Many younger people and older residents may be confined to stay in once winter arrives as they will be reluctant to walk anywhere after dark.”