A London council has come under fire over plans to remove its remaining school crossing patrols by the end of the year.
The cut affects six school sites across the borough of Croydon and has been called “penny-pinching” by a councillor.
The decision, revealed through a Freedom of Information request by InsideCroydon, will see Croydon Council close its remaining School Crossing Patrol services at the end of the year.
These patrols, also known as lollipop patrols, ensure safe road crossing during school drop-off and pick-up hours.
Road crossing safety is a non-statutory service, meaning the council are under no legal obligation to provide it. Despite these cuts, Croydon has said “road safety remains a priority for the Council.”
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)
News of the forthcoming closures has led some to question Croydon Council’s commitment to child safety. Lib Dem Councillor Claire Bonham said she’s been contacted by anxious parents at both Cypress schools in her Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood ward.
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.”
Cllr 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. “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.
Cllr Davis, Labour’s mayoral candidate for the 2026 elections, also criticised Perry’s budgetary decisions, specifically the recent approval of 4,000 new laptops for council staff members.
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.”
Croydon’s school road safety patrols have been sharply reduced over the last decade. In 2011, there were 22, but a previous Conservative-led council cut that number in half.
The council says the recent decision follows a 2022 service review, which was discussed in committee in December 2022 before being approved in the budget plan in October 2024. It added that the affected schools were notified in March 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.”
The council said its Road Safety Officer will continue to work with schools on its other programs, like Junior Roadwatch. In this initiative, children collaborate with road safety officers and police to check driver speeds and remind motorists to stick to speed limits near schools.
