A NEW zebra crossing will be built outside Exminster Primary School – and should be in place for the new school year in September.

After Devon County Council failed to recruit a new lollipop patrol person to work in the village for almost two years, £90,000 will be spent on the crossing.

A report presented to this week’s Teignbridge highways and traffic orders committee said retention of patrol staff in the village had been problematic, with the previous two only staying for a ‘short period of time by comparison with other sites in Devon.’

‘Where patrols cannot be recruited locally, the costs associated with making four car journeys a day to work for a total of an hour on site is financially unattractive for many candidates,’ it added.

The new crossing, between Milbury Lane and Deepway Lane, includes the addition of a high friction (anti-skid) surface, reduced road width at the crossing point and a widened pavement on the school side to further improve safety.

Councillors were told the crossing, funded by the local transport plan, will also benefit local residents and those using the nearby recreational ground, skatepark and Deepway Centre.

The committee approved the project unanimously.