THE number of crossing patrols in St Helens for the upcoming school year has shrank by almost a third.

St Helens Council’s cabinet agreed to stop funding the service in October 2017 as part of its bid to save £20.6 million by 2020 because of cuts in central government funding.

During the current financial year, the council is looking to make further savings of £6.2 million.

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Following the decision to axe crossing patrols, schools were faced with deciding whether to find funding from elsewhere to keep the discretionary service going.

For the start of the 2018-19 school term, 30 crossing patrols were in place, down from 39 the previous year.

The majority were funded by councillors from their councillor improvement fund (CIF), while parish councils contributed in some areas.

A St Helens Council spokesman has confirmed that 24 schools have liaised with the local authority regarding arrangements for the new term.

Of those, 21 will have patrols, while two will have pelican crossings installed. Discussions are still ongoing for one school.

A council spokesman said: “Arrangements for the vast majority of schools that have had school crossing patrols are now in place for the 2019-20 academic year, achieved again by contributions from the councillor improvement fund, parish councils, and school sponsorships.

“For the few remaining schools, we have installed or are soon to implement pelican crossings in place of manned patrols.”

In Rainhill, ward councillors have again agreed to fund the school crossing patrol for the second year running.

Independent Rainhill councillor James Tasker questioned why the Labour-controlled council is not funding the patrols yet is paying a £930 a day consultancy fee for an interim assistant chief executive.

He also questioned a decision taken in January to use almost £900,000 from a town centre development reserve to support Church Square Shopping Centre, which the council bought for £26.6 million in 2017.

“I think that they should be funded by the council,” Cllr Tasker said.

“We hear about nothing but cuts and austerity, yet the council can pay a consultancy fee of £930 a day because of a mess they’ve got themselves into.

“And they can find nearly £900,000 out of our reserves to go towards a run-down shopping centre that they borrowed £26.5 million for yet they can’t afford for crossing patrols?”

St Helens Star:

Rainford councillor and leader of St Helens Conservative group, Allan Jones

Like last year, Rainford Conservative councillors Allan Jones, Rob Reynolds and Linda Mussell have agreed to pay half of the funds required for the area’s crossing patrol operative, with Rainford Parish Council funding the rest.

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Cllr Jones, leader of the St Helens Conservative group, said: “School crossing patrols could save a child’s life.

“I think St Helens Council, in slashing funding for these patrols, is making the wrong decision.

“We should be concentrating on saving a child’s life, not on saving peanuts.”