Fears grow for Enfield crossing as school warden not to be replaced

Parents in Enfield have warned that it may be “only a matter of time” before a serious incident at a busy village crossing, after a long-serving school warden is due to retire this week, with no plans to replace her.

Sue Coyle, who has worked as a lollipop lady outside St Mary’s National School for 32 years was informed by Meath County Council earlier this year that she is to retire on reaching the age of 70.

In a statement, Meath County Council said the retirement age reflects the mandatory retirement age for public servants. The council confirmed there are no plans to replace the role, saying a review of the junction found it to be a safe crossing point.

It said the assessment included observations at school start and finish times, along with a review of traffic signals and pedestrian movements, adding that its approach in recent years following the adoption of a policy in 2018 has been to move away from school wardens in favour of engineered safety measures.

Parent Joanne Reid said the situation has caused significant concern within the community.

“Cars are going through red lights here all the time I’ve seen it myself,” she said.

“When Sue is gone, it’s only a matter of time before a child is seriously hurt.”

Sue, who has spent more than three decades helping children safely cross the road including her own three children who attended the school during her time in the role said she shares those concerns.

“I am terrified of that road and those children in the same sentence,” she said.

She said the area has become more dangerous over the years due to increased traffic and driver behaviour.

“The village is not the same as it was when I started. The traffic is constant now, and people don’t always stop at the lights.”

She said her presence at the crossing has often been the difference between safety and danger.

“I’ve grabbed children by the hoods of their jackets to pull them back out of harm’s way,” she said.

“Cars stop because I stop them not because of the lights.”

She also called on council officials to witness conditions at the crossing firsthand.

“They need to come out here at school time at drop-off or pick-up and see what it’s really like,” she said.

“You can’t make a decision like this without seeing the volume of traffic and how dangerous it actually is.”

Sue added she would be happy to remain in the role if given the opportunity.

Parents say Sue has become a central figure in the school community.

“She’s part of the fabric of the school and the village,” Joanne said.

“She knows the children and has been there in all weathers keeping them safe.”

Joanne said there was no doubt Sue’s presence had prevented accidents over the years.

“There’s no question that Sue has stopped accidents from happening,” she said.

“She has made sure generations of children have got to and from school safely.”

School principal Enda Flynn also paid tribute to Sue’s long service.

“I want to thank Sue for all the care she has given to children crossing the road over the years,” he said.

“To remove a service like this is a very negative change for the community.”

He said the junction presents particular challenges for young children.

“It’s a wide crossing, and cars can come through at speed, even as lights are changing.

“Children at primary school age don’t have the awareness to judge how quickly a car is approaching.”

Mr Flynn warned the decision could also impact active travel.“As an active school, we encourage children to walk and cycle, but if parents don’t feel it’s safe, more will drive, which could increase congestion and risk.”

Both Mr Flynn and Sue pointed to what they see as a contradiction between promoting active travel and removing safety supports.

“There’s a big push to get children walking and cycling to school,” Sue said.

“But you’re asking them to cross a busy road without someone there to stop the traffic.”

Despite the concerns, Sue said the role has brought her great joy.“I’ve loved every minute of it,” she said.

“It’s the children, that’s what makes it.”

Sue, who marked 32 years in the role this year, said the job has always meant a great deal to her.“It was never just a job it was always about the children and being there for them every day,” she said.

Parents have now organised a petition calling on the council to reconsider the decision.

“We just want them to think again,” Joanne said.

“This is about the safety of all the children who use that crossing every day.”

Meath County Council statement in full reads:

“A Policy and Procedure document for the deployment of School Wardens was agreed at the Transportation SPC in 2018.

"Where requests are received to establish a School Crossing Patrol Service, an assessment of the site is carried out in conjunction with the Road Safety Officer. While there is no national guidance specifically governing the provision of School Wardens, Meath County Council has regard to UK guidelines, which identify engineered solutions — including pedestrian crossings — as the optimum safety measure.

"In line with this policy, where some form of control is required to assist children crossing the road, the provision of road engineering measures, alongside the School Safety Education Programme, is considered as an alternative to a School Warden. There is significant built infrastructure in place at the Enfield location to support safe crossing.

"The Council’s approach in recent years has been to prioritise the highest level of safety at school crossings through engineered pedestrian solutions and to move away from the provision of School Wardens.

"The mandatory retirement age of 70 applies to all public servants.

"A review of the crossing facility at the Main Street/Johnstown Road junction included observations of traffic and pedestrian activity on two occasions at school start and finish times. The assessment also included a review of traffic signals, on-site checks of operational suitability and compliance with relevant standards, as well as routine inspection records.

"The school warden will cease operating after the Easter break. The Council is satisfied that safe crossing facilities are in place at the junction, including traffic-light-controlled pedestrian crossings with a ‘green man’ phase, a raised table to reduce vehicle speeds, and railings to guide pedestrians.”