Education Minister Jerome Dill is backing a proposal to put warning lights, crossing bars, and a crossing guard at Northlands next September.

The proposal came about after the Planning Department turned down plans to build a 30-foot-high bridge from the school to the field across the street.

The bridge was to be built by next September when the school is scheduled to become Dellwood Primary.

It would have allowed primary school students to walk across the street without encountering traffic on Berkeley Road.

But Dellwood parents, Planning officers, and at least one Berkeley Road resident objected to the plan.

Parents argued that the bridge would be dangerous for young children, while Planning said it would be visually obtrusive, and Helen L. Peets Alban -- who lives directly opposite Northlands and shares a boundary with the school field -- said the bridge would "cut off light, breeze, and what little view'' she enjoyed.

Mrs. Peets Alban also said the bridge would be an eyesore and would devalue her property.

She suggested that Government should hire a crossing guard, or install amber warning lights near Elroy's Laundromat and the Pie Factory to warn motorists of children in the area.

And yesterday Mr. Dill said he was in favour of having warning lights set up in the area.

One of the proposals the Ministries of Works and Engineering and Education were looking at called for two sets of crossing lights within 25 yards of each other.

This would allow children to cross between the lights, he explained.

"But recognising that you're dealing with very young children, you need a crossing guard on duty at all times,'' Mr. Dill pointed out.

"What's currently be envisaged is crossing arms. I'm favourable to something like that. It does not disrupt the skyline and provides safety.

"I think this solution can work.'' "Our fundamental focus is on safety,'' he stressed. "Otherwise it would have been very simple to put up warning lights and have them (children) press a button. But we're dealing with young children here therefore we will have crossing arms and a person there.'' Mr. Dill said he did not expect the change in plans to cause any delays in Government's plans to convert Northlands to a primary school.

The Ministry of Works and Engineering this week put out renovation work at the current Dellwood Primary site to tender.

"The work involves approximately 3,400 square feet of internal renovation plus a covered walkway to Dellwood House as phase one of the conversion of the campus to a middel school,'' an advertisement placed in yesterday's Royal Gazette stated.

"Contractors must be able to carry out the work on a restricted schedule and have experience of supervising specialist subcontractors.'' Tenders must be submitted to Works and Engineering by January 9.

Jerome Dill