Safety fears over removal of Stalybridge school crossing

Safety fears have been raised over the removal of a crossing patroller at St Raphael's Primary School in Stalybridge.

Parents have voiced their concerns around the school being situated on an 'extremely busy' road, where they claim there have been 15 accidents in the past five years.

"It's the only school in the borough, to the best of my knowledge, that is on such a busy road with no way for the children to safely cross," One parent said.

“The pupils attending are all between the ages of three and 11, some of whom are walking to school alone for the first time to prepare them for future life.

“As we approach Winter, I’m worried about their safety on darker mornings and evenings - it’s not safe for them at all, I think it’s a worry for all of us parents.

“I’m disappointed in the lack of action from local authoritative figures and how little they are doing in regard to this.”

He added that he had been in touch with three parties at Tameside Council, who he felt were 'unwilling' to help him.

He said: "Speed is known to be an issue on this particular road and there are five speed cameras within 0.7m of the school - one of which was recently upgraded.

"Information on the Council website indicates that 'enforcement cameras' are targeted at locations with a historically poor road safety record, with the aim of reducing road casualties in the future.

"This rather contradicts the correspondence I had with the councillors about the safety of Huddersfield Road. So why, with five safety cameras surrounding the school, is nothing being done to ensure the safety of our children?"

Another parent described the situation as an 'accident waiting to happen'.

Lynn Lakner, headteacher at St Raphael's, said:"At St Raphael's we take Road Safety very seriously. We speak to the pupils regularly about safety. 

"We have tried over many years to continue to fund the crossing patrol. Unfortunately, the ongoing cost of this, which has come directly out of school budget since the local authority stopped providing the service in 2013, are no longer viable for school to cover due to the considerable financial pressures we currently face."

Cllr Jan Jackson said: “Schools do not have the money in their budgets and the local authority has no available funding with budget constraints.  

“Initiatives must be demonstrated and monies bid via the Combined Authority (CA) with TfGM reviewing proposed schemes before releasing funding.

“Schemes such as the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Challenge Fund, Bee Network, implementation of cycle lanes, all have to meet a specific criterion before funding is agreed and released.”

She addressed that although parents may be disappointed with the responses they receive, local Councillors are ‘trying to address the issue raised’.