Winter Preparation: Improvements and Disappointments

Lib Dem County Councillors Stephen Cooksey and David Goodwin have worked for some months as part of a small Council Task Group established to make recommendations about improving the chaotic arrangements that the County had in place when the heavy snow fell last winter. Many of the recommendations of the Group have been accepted by the Cabinet, which agreed to provide an additional £1 million to improve the service in the coming winter.

As a consequence the County has promised that:

• all sound grit bins will be inspected and filled during October;
• much more salt has been stored in preparation for winter compared to last year;
• some roads downgraded last year have been restored as priority gritting routes;
• communications will be improved and information about legal responsibilities supplied;
• a closer partnership between the County and the Districts and Boroughs has been initiated to ensure that each knows what the other will do.

Stephen Cooksey, Liberal Democrat Transportation Spokesman said '"These improvements are welcomed and it is hoped that the service this coming winter will be much improved, but the review started too late and there is real concern about whether the County and the Districts and Boroughs have done sufficient planning to work together more effectively in a meaningful way. However my greatest concern is the rejection by the Tory Cabinet of the proposals to improve the grit bin service."

"Instead they have worsened the service by only providing for one fill regardless of how severe conditions become, not replacing broken bins and not providing funding for any new bins this year in sites requested by Councillors or residents."

"Consequently if we have heavy snow next winter residents will not have an adequate grit bin service and the responsibility for that will rest totally with the Conservative Cabinet."