Edinburgh roads: Plans to remove 17 school crossing sites which have been without a lollipop patrol for years

The council says some of the sites have been without a crossing guide for 15 years or more, in many cases there is now a pedestrian crossing, and most of the locations would no longer meet the criteria for a lollipop patrol.

Edinburgh currently has 173 school crossing sites, with around 143 of them staffed. The council said it conducted three or four rounds of recruitment each year, usually taking on between five and 10 new part-time patrols each time, but the new recruits roughly balance the number leaving so there are never enough to staff all the sites.

Some school crossing sites now have pedestrian crossings and many would no longer meet the criteria for a lollipop patrol

If the transport and environment committee accepts the recommendation to decommission the 17 sites, the council says it will continue to recruit for the other unstaffed locations.

A report to the committee say a risk-based assessment of the long-term vacant sites was undertaken to consider if a crossing guide was still required, if additional infrastructure would be appropriate or if the site should be removed from the list.

“A site survey of each location was undertaken to consider the current usage, road and traffic environment. Pedestrian and vehicle count surveys were carried out and collision data was considered for each location. Fifteen of the noted sites are located at sites with formal pedestrian crossing infrastructure and two sites are currently on roads that have been restricted to vehicles.”

Transport and environment convener Stephen Jenkinson said the list of school crossing sites had been inherited from the police when councils took over responsibility for lollipop patrols several years ago.

And he said the council had to be prepared to look at the decommissioning proposal.

He said: "These are longstanding sites where we have had real issues filling the posts.

"Things have been moved on in the past 10 years, additional crossings have been put in place, there has been a lot more monitoring and certainly I feel there is now a case to be made to reduce the crossing patrols at a number of these sites.

"As long as the evidence is there and data has been provided to suggest this is safe and appropriate to do, then I think it should be looked at."

The 17 school crossing sites to be decommissioned are:

Craigentinny Primary School - Craigentinny Road / Loaning Road

Craigroyston Primary School - Pennywell Road / Muirhouse Avenue

Stewarts Melville - Ravelston Terrace / Queensferry Terrace

Flora Stevenson Primary School - Comely Bank Road / Comely Bank Avenue

Gracemount Primary School - Lasswade Road at Liberton Hospital

George Watsons - Colinton Road / Ettrick Road

James Gillespies Primary School - Whitehouse Loan / Warrender Park Road

Leith Primary School - Academy Street / Laurie Street

Oxgangs Primary School - Colinton Mains Drive at school

Roseburn Primary School - Roseburn Street / Roseburn Terrace

Royal Mile Primary School - Holyrood Road / Dumbiedykes Road

St Catherines RC Primary School - Captains Road /Lasswade Road

St Marys RC Primary School, Leith (site 1) - East Hermitage Place / Links Gardens

St Marys RC Primary School, Leith (site 2) - Restalrig Road / Gladstone Place

St Peters RC Primary School - Morningside Road / Falcon Avenue

South Morningside Primary School - Cluny Gardens / Braid Road

Stockbridge Primary School - Brandon Street / Eyre Place