“Let’s not wait for a child to be injured or killed before we take action:" Parent delivers 800-strong school crossing petition to Peterborough City Council

Mum Katie Berry and other parents of pupils at Eye Primary School were shocked to discover that their long-serving lollipop lady was made redundant.

Lisa Bryan had been a lollipop lady at the school for more than 26 years, but Peterborough City Council decided to cut crossing patrols at four primary schools, including Eye, in order to save money.

While Ms Bryan had agreed to stay on voluntarily for a short while, the Eye, Thorney and Newborough councillors Steve Allen, Mark Ormston and Rylan Ray, have since agreed to use some of their Community Leadership Funds to support her until the end of the school year.

However, there will be no additional safety measures in place once Ms Bryan leaves. Parents have been informed that a zebra crossing will be built as part of a planned 265-home development nearby, but there is no time scale as to when it will happen.

Ms Berry, who has two young sons at Eye Primary School, was delighted to have garnered so much support for her petition which was handed in at Peterborough Town Hall on June 10 with 800 signatures.

The petition asks that the council ensures there is “continuous safety provision” outside the school which “must be in place until the proposed zebra crossing is installed and is fully functional”, in addition to the current 20mph speed limit.

Speaking at the Town Hall, Ms Berry said: “It’s been really full on and quite chaotic at points, running around doing the school run with clipboards and having the children as well.

“I’m really proud because my children have seen that actually you can do things if there is something you feel passionate about. You do have the power to engage with your community and do something about it, we don’t just have to stand by the wayside.

“What hit home for me is that everybody had their own personal story about when they saw a near miss and they thank God that there was safety provision there. If there is no safety provision, it’s just a matter of time [before an accident happens].”

Once Ms Berry’s petition has been verified, it will be presented at the next full council meeting on July 23, where councillors will discuss whether to take action or not.

Eye, Thorney and Newborough councillor Mark Ormston said: “It just shows the strength behind the concern in the community. The fact there was 800 signatures in such a short period of time.

“It has been a fantastic community effort raising awareness of the risks to children crossing that road.

“The outcome I’m desperately hoping for is that provision will be put in place and kept in place until the crossing is there, at such a time that it can be safely used.”

A separate petition is also running which asks the council to reinstate all school crossing patrols at Eye, Old Fletton, Newark Hill and Werrington where cuts were made.

The petition has been signed over 500 times and states: “Let’s not wait for a child to be injured or killed before we take action – we call on councillors to do it before tragedy strikes.

“School crossing patrols are an essential part of ensuring children can safely cross roads, particularly near busy schools and roads with high traffic volumes. These patrols play a key and proven role in preventing accidents.”

You can sign the e-petition at https://peterborough.moderngov.co.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?id=142