Fury over plan to replace lollipop lady
Plans to replace Westham's popular lollipop lady with a puffin crossing have caused concern amongst villagers.
Westham currently has a pelican crossing on the High Street and a lollipop lady stands outside Pevensey and Westham School.
But new traffic calming measures, proposed by East Sussex County Council, may see the pelican crossing and lollipop lady, Dianne Parris, replaced by a single puffin crossing outside the school.
Parish councillors discussed the possibility of a zebra crossing with a lollipop lady but opted for a puffin crossing despite objections from local residents at a Westham Parish Council meeting last Monday.
Cllr Barbara Molog, chair of the parish council said, "Puffin crossings are safer and many councils are switching.
"The puffin crossings conform to the Disability Discrimination Act and will assist the elderly population in the village.
"We want children to walk to school and we want them to walk safely. We have spoken before about a walking bus."
Denise Howes and her husband Steve, of Rattle Road, have had children at the school for 10 years and they are angry about the plans to replace the lollipop lady with a puffin crossing.
Denise said, "It seems to me that we are protecting the lives of the elderly and risking the lives of children."
And Anne Glegg, of Church Avenue, said, "I have seen the lollipop lady stopping young children from running out in to the road."
The Westham traffic calming plans also include two mini roundabouts, pavement widening and the a reduction in speed limits on Rattle Road.
Wealden councillor Kevin Balsdon said, "It would be wrong of me to say I didn't want the traffic calming measures because I have been campaigning for this for a long time.
"But what I am against is taking away the pelican crossing and putting a puffin crossing outside the school.
"Dianne knows most the children, parents and even many of the lorry drivers.
"I feel it is very important for children to have the individual attention they receive from the lollipop lady. She will often hold them back from the road and control the situation when the pavement gets crowded.
"You will also notice that Dianne stands on different sides of the road depending on the time of day — that is not something a puffin crossing can do.
"They say a puffin crossing conforms to the Disability Discrimination Act and will help the aging community so why don't they leave the pelican crossing where it is and add a raised zebra crossing with a lollipop lady outside the school?
"Then the elderly would not have to walk all the way up to the school in order to cross the road."
The Westham traffic calming proposals include the Rattle Road speed limit being reduced from 40mph to 30mph but some residents are concerned about enforcement.
Hilary Crossley, of Rattle Road, said, "When I walk the children to school I make sure they are in single file and concentrating at all times because some of the cars are doing 50mph or even 60mph along that road. There needs to be some repercussions."
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Weather for Hastings
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 21 C
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Wind direction: West
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Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
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