School Crossing Points
Renfrewshire Council · 5 November 2025
Back to Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board — 5 November 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ To: Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board On: 5 November 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: School Crossing Points ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Like most other local authorities in the UK, Renfrewshire Council provide staff to cover school crossing points to assist children to cross roads near to schools. 1.2 The provision of school crossing patrollers to cover these crossing points is a non-statutory service that has been provided by local authorities and is constantly kept under review. 1.3 Renfrewshire Council has had a policy for identifying school crossing points for many years and this was refreshed and approved at the Infrastructure Land and Environment Policy Board on 19 March 2025. 1.4 Some of Renfrewshire Council’s school crossing points have not met the criteria for a school crossing patroller due to either a low assessment (PV2) or there is controlled/signalised crossing that has been put in place. 1.5 Facilities and Property Services (Soft FM) oversee School Crossing Patrollers (SCPs) and they are difficult to recruit due to the 10 hour contracts (1 hour in morning, 1 hour in afternoon - 5 days a week). The service has carried vacancies for several years and at times must move patrollers about to cover points that are with a higher PV2 assessment score.
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PUBLIC 1.6 This paper outlines 8 school crossing points that do not currently meet the policy agreed by this Board, the reasons why they do not meet the policy, and seeking board approval to remove these school crossing patrol points. The paper further highlights the improvements that will be looked at should a school crossing point be removed. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board: 2.1 Reviews the 8 school crossing points as detailed in Section 5 of this report, noting they do not meet the Renfrewshire Council School Crossing Points Policy as agreed in March 2025. 2.2 Agrees and approves, that School Crossing Points 1, 2, 3 and 4 (as detailed in Section 5.2) are removed due to low numbers of children crossing and/or vacant posts that haven’t been covered for a prolonged period of time (between 5-18 months). 2.3 Notes crossing points 5,6,7 and 8 (as detailed in section 5.2) do not meet the Council’s policy criteria and agrees to progress to a period of engagement with Head Teachers, Parent Councils and Ward Members around removal of the crossing patrollers from these locations. 2.4 Agrees for a report to be brought back to the next cycle of this Board to consider the matters raised during the engagement set out in recommendation 2.3 to enable board members to make a decision on the future of these school crossing points. _________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 Within Renfrewshire, there are currently 92 school crossing point locations with associated School Crossing Patroller (SCP) positions which is the equivalent of 26.04 FTE. 21 of the positions are currently vacant. There are several roads have more than one crossing patrol. 3.2 The siting of school crossing points, the criteria for the assessment in Renfrewshire and the appointment of School Crossing Patrollers to manage children crossing at them, follows the national School Crossing Patrol Service Guidelines (2016 Revision), produced by Road Safety GB in conjunction with RoSPA. This guidance, used by local authorities was used to devise Renfrewshire Council’s School Crossing Point Policy agreed in March 2025.
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PUBLIC 3.3 The guidance highlights above all, even where a school crossing patroller is provided by a local authority, ‘parents remain responsible for ensuring their children’s safety’. 3.4 The accepted standard method of assessing whether a school crossing points is required at a given location is set out in the guidelines. It is based on a calculation of the number of child pedestrians crossing plus vehicles using the road location, counted across a one-hour period prior to and/or just beyond the school day commencing. 3.5 The calculation provides a PV² score (Pedestrian x Vehicle) in millions. The guidance states that a PV² score of less than 4 million does not justify a school crossing point on initial assessment. However, where an assessment provides a score between 1.33 million and 4 million, then the policy allows for further detailed site examination to be conducted and adjustment factors applied. The adjustment factors take into account site specific factors such as vehicle speeds, carriageway width, footpath width, visibility, accident records and the age of children crossing the roads. The school crossing point is only justified if there is an adjustment to the PV2 calculation that reassesses the score to greater than 4 million. 3.6 In short, any score of less than 1.33 million means a site should be discounted unless exceptional circumstances apply. For new schools, if a road was less than 1.33 million, a school crossing point would not be provided at that location. 3.7 A review of school crossing points in Renfrewshire has been undertaken by a suitably trained and experienced supervisory transportation officer in the last 18 months. This included new assessments of current school crossing points and re-examination of points with newly added signalised/controlled crossing infrastructure (toucan, pelican crossings etc). As detailed above, the school crossing points presented to this Policy Board are sites that don’t meet the policy. ___________________________________________________________________ 4. Previous Boards/Council meeting 4.1 As reported to the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board on 27 August 2025, there was a proposal to potentially remove 9 school crossing points. At that time, engagement started with schools (Head Teachers and Parent Councils) and Ward Members as there was a delegation to the Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure to remove school crossing patrol points. 4.2 In August 2025, the Council’s Scheme of Delegated functions had given the Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure the following delegation:
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PUBLIC 4.3 At the Council meeting 25 September 2025, it was agreed and decided to remove the delegation within the Scheme of Delegated functions and revert the 9 school crossing patrol points back to this Policy Board for discussion and decision. One of the 9 crossings has been removed from the paper at this time due to a high PV² score during the afternoon assessment. ___________________________________________________________________ 5. Sites proposed for removal 5.1 In working with colleagues in Roads, the following proposal is to remove school crossing points with a PV² score between 4 million and 11 million where signalised/controlled crossing infrastructure has been installed or where posts have a low PV² score, are currently vacant and/or have had no incidents/accidents over the last year. 5.2 This will reduce the number of crossings points by 8 to a total of 84 at this time. The posts under review are detailed in the table below: Closest School Crossing Positions Vacant Council Ward Improvement s planned Rationale 1. West Johnstone Shared Campus Beith Rd/Craigenfeoch Ave Vacant Johnstone South & Elderslie Advance warning School Crossing signs both ways / refresh road markings Historical crossing (servicing previous primary schools) which is no longer required with alternative light- controlled crossings in place at both Johnstone High and West Johnstone Campus. Vacant since May 2025. Low number of pupils crossed during the assessment
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PUBLIC 2. St Margarets PS/ Thorn PS Campbell St/Canal Rd Vacant Johnstone South & Elderslie Advance warning School Crossing signs both ways / refresh road markings/ school crossing sign imprint in carriageway, surface type permitting. Position has been vacant for over a year with no known accidents Low number of pupils crossed during the assessment 3. Thorn PS Beith Rd/Fraser Ave Johnstone South & Elderslie Advance warning School Crossing signs both ways / refresh road markings Alternative light- controlled crossing in place at Thorn Brae and therefore, doesn’t meet the criteria for a SCP as per policy No pupils crossed during assessment 4. Bridge of Weir PS Houston Rd/Warlock Rd Vacant Bishopton, Bridge of Weir & Langbank Advance warning School Crossing signs both ways / refresh road markings Position vacant for 18 months and no known accidents. Light Controlled Crossing in place therefore doesn’t meet the criteria for a SCP as per policy 5. Williamsburgh PS/St John Ogilvie PS Arkleston Rd/Regent St Paisley Northeast & Ralston Advance warning School Crossing signs both ways / refresh road markings Light Controlled Crossing in place therefore doesn’t meet the criteria for a SCP as per the policy Low number of pupils crossed during assessment 6. East Fulton PS/Linwood High Clippens Rd/Stirling Gate Houston, Crosslee & Linwood Advance warning School Crossing signs both ways / refresh road markings Light Controlled Crossing in place therefore doesn’t meet the criteria for a SCP as per the policy
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PUBLIC 7. Howwood PS Bowfield Rd Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood & Lochwinnoch Advance warning School Crossing signs both ways / refresh road markings/ school crossing sign imprint in carriageway, surface type permitting. Low PV2 due to numbers of children crossing. Road speed audit undertaken and average speed of vehicles below speed limit 8. Inchinnan PS Old Greenock Rd Erskine & Inchinnan Advance warning School Crossing signs both ways / refresh road markings/ school crossing sign imprint in carriageway, surface type permitting. Traffic calming infrastructure in place (raised table for crossing) Engagement 5.3 Where a school crossing point has been agreed for removal as set out in Recommendations 2.2 of this report, the Headteacher, Parent Councils and Ward Members will be engaged to advise of the position and the additional road safety features that will be installed at the road crossing location. 5.4 Where board has authorised engagement around the continuation of school crossing patrol point that does not meet the Council’s Policy, as set out in Recommendation 2.3 of this report, engagement will take place with Headteachers, Parent Councils and Ward Members, with the outputs from engagement being brough back to board for members consideration. 5.5 Officers will discuss with operational staff (School Crossing Patrollers) regarding any proposed changes to the crossing point that is covered and support the staff member. The aim would be to support the staff to stay within the service or within a facilities management post in the local area if possible, should the decision be to remove the crossing patroller from a crossing point.
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PUBLIC Proposed Works if Crossing Point Removed 5.6 Should a School Crossing Point be removed, Officers from Roads will look to clearly improve the area vacated at the school crossing point. This may include, but is not limited to: • Improving/increasing signage • Improving road markings, including at signalised/light-controlled crossing • Consideration of anti-skid paint on road surface • Advanced warning signage for children crossing • Review of light-controlled crossing point 5.7 Some illustrative examples of signage are given in Appendix 2. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – There is no cost to removal of school crossing points, however, there whilst staff will be relocated to vacancies, and the vacancies will be removed from the structure leading to a recurring revenue saving. 2. HR & Organisational Development - None 3. Community/Council Planning – • Place – Ensuring our neighbourhoods are safe by reviewing School Crossing Points, ensuring they comply with the policy and introducing signalised crossing points is required. • Our Renfrewshire is safe – by following the policy, Renfrewshire Council is ensuring that crossings are safe for school children either via a School Crossing Point or signalised crossing. 4. Legal – None 5. Property/Assets – None 6. Information Technology - None
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PUBLIC 7. Equality & Human Rights (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – All school crossing points have been assessed as per the guidance within this report to ensure they would be safe to remove. 9. Procurement – None 10. Risk - None 11. Privacy Impact - N/A 12. COSLA Policy Position - N/A 13. Children’s Rights - This report does not cover a new policy, function or strategy nor a substantive change to an existing policy, function or strategy which will have an impact on children’s rights. 14. Climate Risk – None _________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers School Crossing Points Policy – Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, 19 March 2025. Service Update Report – Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, 27 August 2025. Council Motions – Council meeting, 25 September 2025. __________________________________________________________________ Author: Chris Dalrymple, Head of Facilities and Property Services, Environment, Housing and Infrastructure
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PUBLIC Appendix 1 Williamsburgh PS/St John Ogilvie PS Arkleston Rd/Regent St (Signalised Crossing) PV2 – 2.01 Red line indicates SCP position - Yellow indicates crossing infrastructure Satellite View Street View of the School Crossing Patroller location
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PUBLIC East Fulton PS/Linwood HS Clippens Rd/Stirling Gate (Signalised Crossing) PV2 – 3.89 Red line indicates SCP position - Yellow indicates crossing infrastructure Satellite View Street View of the School Crossing Patroller location
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PUBLIC West Johnstone Shared Campus Beith Road at Craigenfeoch Avenue PV2 – 0.51 Red line indicates SCP position - Yellow indicates crossing infrastructure Satellite View Street View of the School Crossing Patroller location at Beith Road/Craigenfeoch Avenue
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PUBLIC Signalised crossing at West Johnstone shared campus Signalised crossing at Johnstone High Signalised crossing at Cochranemill Road
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PUBLIC St Margaret’s PS/Thorn PS Campbell Street at Canal Road PV2 – 0.05 Red line indicates SCP position - Yellow indicates crossing infrastructure Satellite View Street View of the School Crossing Patroller location
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PUBLIC Thorn PS Beith Rd/Fraser Ave PV2 – 0.00 Red line indicates SCP position - Yellow indicates crossing infrastructure Satellite View Street View of the School Crossing Patroller location
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PUBLIC Howwood PS Bowfield Rd/Howwood PV2 – 1.63 Red line indicates SCP position - Yellow indicates crossing infrastructure Satellite View Street View of the School Crossing Patroller location
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PUBLIC Bridge of Weir PS Houston Rd/Warlock Rd (Signalised Crossing) PV2 – 5.87 Red line indicates SCP position - Yellow indicates crossing infrastructure Satellite View Street View of the School Crossing Patroller location
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PUBLIC Inchinnan PS Inchinnan Rd/Old Greenock Rd PV2 – 0.35 Red line indicates SCP position - Yellow indicates crossing infrastructure Satellite View Street View of the School Crossing Patroller location
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PUBLIC APPENDIX 2
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PUBLIC