LOLLIPOP campaigners are celebrating after Dorset County Council agreed to save dozens of school crossings.
County Council cabinet members yesterday agreed to save 50 crossing patrols and axe only 10.
They overruled a recommendation by the count council’s policy development panel to save an extra five crossings on permanent crossing sites.
Speaking at yesterday’s meeting county councillor John Wilson said: “I’m in support of keeping the school crossing patrol in all places where possible.”
Councillor Peter Finney said: “Clearly the people on the panel did a lot of work on the issue and came to a sensible conclusion.”
The panel found that as no school community had come forward with a plan to fund the crossing and no funding offers had been forthcoming from local or national sponsors that the county council should look at funding options.
The crossings will be withdrawn from April 1, 2012 saving £35,000.
Those being axed are: Quibo Lane, Weymouth; High Street, Wool; Wincombe Lane, Shaftesbury; Chewton Common, Highcliffe; Greenways, Highcliffe; East Street, Corfe Castle; outside the School at Bere Regis; outside the school at Winterbourne Abbas; Sopers Lane, Christchurch and Sandford Road, Sandford.
More than 60 lollipop men and woman will now be keeping their jobs and the county council has said that those facing redundancy will be offered redeployment to other sites where appropriate.
Lollipop campaigner Helen Toft said she was delighted with the victory.
She said: “It’s brilliant news. I am really pleased. I have to say there was a point a couple of months ago when I wasn’t sure if it was going to come right, so I’m really pleased.”
Mrs Toft, from Weymouth, said that she thought the county council’s decision would be taken into consideration by other local authorities.
She said: “A lot of people have been watching Dorset and waiting to see what would happen and I think they will follow our lead.”
Mrs Toft thanked all the people who had helped to make the campaign such a success including councillors Janet Dover, David Harris and Karl Wallace.
She said: “They have been there right from the start, fighting for the service to be saved. I’d also like to thank MP’s Annette Brook and Richard Drax and campaigners Liz Norman and Liz Howard who have been campaigning in East Dorset.”
Campaigners Liz Howard and Liz Norman were at the cabinet meeting to here the verdict.
Mrs Norman said: “The decision is going to make people very happy indeed.”
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