Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Croydon Council faces sharp criticism from parents and councillors after axing school lollipop patrols, raising safety concerns for children at crossings.
Although Croydon Council intends to eliminate its remaining school crossing patrols by the end of the year, it has stated that safety will always be its top priority.
A politician has referred to the cut, which impacts six school locations throughout the borough, as “penny-pinching.”
Croydon Council will terminate its remaining School Crossing Patrol services at the end of the year as a result of the decision, which was made public through an InsideCroydon Freedom of Information request.
During school drop-off and pick-up hours, these patrols—also referred to as lollipop patrols—ensure safe road crossings.
Since road crossing safety is a non-statutory service, the municipality is not required by law to offer it. Croydon has stated that “road safety remains a priority for the Council” in spite of these cuts.
The six schools affected are
- Cypress Infants and Juniors (South Norwood Hill)
- Norbury Manor Primary (Norbury)
- Orchard Way Primary (Shirley)
- Monks Orchard Infants and Juniors (Shirley)
- Oasis Academy Ryelands (Woodside)
- Greenvale Primary (Selsdon)
Some have questioned Croydon Council’s dedication to child safety in light of the impending closures.
According to Lib Dem Councillor Claire Bonham, worried parents have gotten in touch with her at the Cypress schools in her Upper Norwood and Crystal Palace wards.
She said: “Parents at Cypress Primary have shared their concerns with me about the proposed cuts to their lollipop man, and they are rightly concerned that this will have an impact on their children’s safety.”
Bonham also stressed the importance of patrol staff to the school community and has started a petition to stop the cuts.
“Lollipop men and women are a valued part of the community, keeping children safe and providing a safe, reassuring presence for families on their way to school.”
She blamed Mayor Jason Perry for prioritising cost-cutting over safety, adding: “This feels like penny-pinching from the Tory Mayor, and I have written to him to set out my opposition to cutting these services from Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood, and other locations around the borough.”
Councillor Rowenna Davis also took aim at the Mayor over spending choices. “Mayor Perry says there’s no money for the lollipop patrols who keep our kids safe from Cypress Infants in the north to Greenvale Primary in Selsdon,” she said.
The recent approval of 4,000 additional computers for council employees was one of Perry’s budgeting mistakes that Davis, Labour’s mayoral contender for the 2026 elections, criticized.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Mayor Perry says there’s money for his staff to have. That’s because Mayor Perry puts people last.”
Over the past ten years, Croydon’s school road safety patrols have drastically decreased. There were 22, however that number was halved by a previous Conservative-led council in 2011.
The new decision, according to the council, comes after a 2022 service evaluation that was authorized in the budget plan in October 2024 after being reviewed in committee in December 2022. Additionally, it stated that notice was sent to the impacted schools in March of this year.
A council spokesperson told the LDRS: “Most patrols were phased out many years ago and risk assessments have been completed for the six remaining sites, with one now earmarked for a permanent crossing and three located on Healthy School Streets.”
According to the council, its Road Safety Officer will keep collaborating with schools on its other initiatives, such as Junior Roadwatch. Children work alongside police and road safety officers in this program to monitor car speeds and warn drivers to obey speed restrictions in the vicinity of schools.
What are Croydon residents’ opinions on council spending versus safety priorities?
Residents contend that the greater risk to children’s safety outweighs the comparatively little annual savings from eliminating lollipop patrols (about £58,000). Many people think that protecting kids on busy highways should come before small budget cuts.
There is annoyance that vital safety services are still being reduced in spite of large council tax increases in recent years, including a contentious 15% rise in 2023. Locals wonder why frontline safety measures are being compromised in favor of more levies and senior official pay increases.
Allegations of a lack of transparency and inadequate community engagement resulted from the decision to eliminate patrols not being openly discussed at full council meetings.