FURTHER changes to crossing patrols are set to be made in a bid to improve conditions outside congested schools.

Wokingham Borough Council intends to install eight new pedestrian crossings in time for the new term in September and several Woodley sites will be affected.

The traditional patrollers will be made redundant from South Lake, Willow Bank and Woodley CofE Primary School and replaced by a zebra crossing in a bid to avoid near-misses and accidents.

Councillors decided to pull the service from a further eight sites last year, which sparked concern among head teachers and patrollers.

Keith Baker, the executive councillor for transport and highways, said the scheme was not being carried out to save money, but instead to provide a safer service for children and families.

He said: "Obviously in the long term there is a saving, I won't deny that, but it is also providing safe crossings throughout the borough.

"We are probably the last council in Berkshire that had crossing patrollers and what the other councils have done is just taken them away without replacing them with a crossing.

"It is an emotive subject. The patrollers become aunts and uncles to the children which is lovely to see, but the positions are also hard to fill."

The council's decision follows a public consultation and there were no concerns relating to the removal of patrollers.

As well as new zebra crossings, new signal-controlled crossings will be installed at Oaklands Primary School and Loddon Primary School.

Cllr Baker added: "The obvious place which has had problems is Silverdale Road. This area has had major problems and has not had a crossing patrol for many years.

"All of the sites have been subject to an audit and if the review said removing the patroller was unsafe, we would not have done it.

“We do not take a decision such as this lightly. We looked carefully at the consultation responses and it is clear that some parents like the reassurance of a school crossing patroller and that the patrollers are popular."