By Robert Halfon (MP for Harlow) & Jane Chivrall (Potter Street Lollipop Lady)

Essex County Council (ECC) are currently considering whether or not to remove School Crossing Patrollers (lollipop men and women) from a number of areas around Harlow.

Under the current proposals, if a school already has other measures in place (such as a zebra or pelican crossing) and cannot afford to fund the service themselves, the local lollipop worker will be made redundant in order to make a 20% saving.

Please sign our petition and support Harlow’s lollipop men and women who keep local schoolchildren safe, day in day out, come rain or shine.

Lollipop workers are an essential part of our community, helping to prevent speeding on our roads and providing comfort to hundreds of local residents and their children.

We are proposing a number of alternatives:

• - If ECC reduced the time each lollipop worker spent at their site by just 10 minutes (where viable), this would also amount to a 20% saving, with no loss of service.
• - ECC could also pursue sponsorship from local car dealerships as a way of funding and  retaining the service.
• - Finally, we will be writing to the Government to asking if ECC can use funds from another budget in order to cover the costs.

We are urging ECC to think again and maintain the vital school crossing patrols in Harlow and the surrounding villages of Hastingwood, Matching, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering.