Petition - Maintain School Crossing Patrol - London Road, Holybourne, Alton

Thank you for your petition to maintain the School Crossing Patrol on London Road, Holybourne near Alton.

Proposals relating to the School Crossing Patrol service forms part of the County Council's recent Future Services Consultation. For more information about the consultation please visit www.hants.gov.uk/future-services-consultation.

Following the announcement that a General Election will be held on 4 July 2024, decisions on proposals relating to the findings of the Future Services Consultation held earlier this year, will now be postponed until this Autumn.

Final decisions on the proposals, including one that relates to the School Crossing Patrol service, were due to be made by the County Council’s Cabinet this summer. However, with a General Election also now due this summer, the County Council has had to consider the circumstances very carefully. Local authorities must adhere to important restrictions on publicity and decision-making activity, especially for key issues, during a pre-election period (the weeks running up to an election). Any decisions and communications activity in relation to the outcome of the Future Services Consultation now need to be avoided under the pre-election rules.

In deciding to postpone the dates for final decision-making, the local authority has also reflected on the need for our Councillors to be able to fully participate in the process, and the County Council’s established practice of ensuring that significant decisions are generally rescheduled to after an election. Final decisions will therefore now be taken by the County Council’s Cabinet in October this year.

Yours sincerely

Councillor Lulu Bowerman
Executive Member for Highways and Waste