Question to the Cabinet Member Communities from Councillor Altaf Hussain

Could the Cabinet Member let the Council know if the school crossing service is being removed?

Question to the Leader from Councillor Tom Giffard

On November 1st, the Bridgend GEM reported that the BCBC Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration has said that a 'massive recession, unemployment, shortages and international humiliation' would be a 'good thing' in the long run if it meant that Britain stayed within the EU.

Could the Leader explain the Cabinet's position regarding these comments, and confirm whether or not they are the council's preferred outcome?

Question to the Cabinet Member Communities from Cllr A Hussain

Could the Cabinet Member let the Council know if the school crossing service is being removed?

Response of the Cabinet Member Communities:

There are no plans to entirely remove the School Crossing Patrol service.  The proposed MTFS saving under consideration would result from a review of the School Crossing Patrol sites in line with nationally recognised standards.  Ensuring that those locations with the highest volumes of pedestrian and vehicle movements are maintained, whilst potentially discontinuing the service for quieter sites with lower risk levels.  It is also pertinent to highlight that the primary responsibility for ensuring children safely arrive at school does reside with the parent or guardian.

Councillor Hussain looked forward to the reviewer’s report and he hoped that Pen y Fai School will be one of the schools where the services will be maintained and asked a supplementary question for those schools where the service is removed, could the Cabinet Member inform how it was intended to make school crossings safe for parents and children to cross?  The Cabinet Member Communities informed Council there is a scoring process in place for the review of school crossing patrols, which is dependent on the type of road, the number of junctions on that road and the footfall.  He stated that the footfall criteria had changed and no longer took into consideration the footfall of adults who use a particular road.  He informed Council that the authority had not adopted the new criteria but adheres to the 2012 Code. 

A member of Council questioned how the authority could mitigate against parents driving their children to school.  The Cabinet Member Communities informed Council there are Active Travel routes in place and believed parents who take their children to school on foot will continue to do so.  He stated that the Council has a responsibility to create safe routes to school.  He informed Council of the difficulties in recruiting school crossing patrols.          

Question to the Leader from Cllr T Giffard

On November 1st, the Bridgend GEM reported that the BCBC Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration has said that a 'massive recession, unemployment, shortages and international humiliation' would be a 'good thing' in the long run if it meant that Britain stayed within the EU.

Could the Leader explain the Cabinet's position regarding these comments, and confirm whether or not they are the council's preferred outcome?

Response of the Leader:

Cllr Smith’s comments were intended to be ironic. The Facebook post then referred to him being “arrested for sedition and unpatriotic thoughts”, clearly that will not happen!

On realising his comments were misinterpreted he removed them from Facebook. These are comments I would not have made and I have spoken to Cllr Smith and he has apologised.

During this unprecedented period of uncertainty all Cabinet members are clear that we hope that any negative impact on the communities of Bridgend County Borough, Wales and the United Kingdom will be minimised. I am sure this is a view shared by all Members.   

Councillor Giffard in thanking the Leader for his response hoped the Leader would continue to work across all levels of Government and parties.

A member of Council questioned how the Council is preparing for Brexit.  The Leader stated that a meeting had taken place with officials of the Home Office wherein the possible shortages of medicines and food supplies were discussed.  He stated that the advice from the Home Office was received late in the process but the Council would ensure it is as ready as it could be when the UK will leave the European Union.  The Cabinet Member Communities informed Council that a Brexit Group had been set up which was looking at the risks posed by the withdrawal from the European Union.