THE gritting crisis during the recent terrible icy weather must never happen again, say a group of policitians.
Four Green Lancaster City Councillors have challenged Lancashire County Council to ensure slippery roads and pavements are gritted more effectively the next time a 'big freeze' sets in.
Councillors Melanie Forrest, Jude Towers, Morgwn Trolinger a
nd John Whitelegg, say the county council should:
*Provide a comprehensive network of grit bins throughout the district and ensure they are filled before the start of the winter gritting period.
*Put in place arrangements to deal with telephone and e-mail requests to fill the bins on a regular basis during the winter gritting period so that no bin is left empty for more than 24 hours.
*Prepare advice on how best to use the gritting supplies and how to keep paths and pavements clear.
The councillors praised "the hard working staff that undertook gritting operations over the Christmas New Year period" but said "for many residents, especially the elderly and those with mobility difficulties, the conditions on footpaths and pavements were very difficult indeed and led to severe inconvenience, injury and isolation."
A Heysham man, Ian Hunter, died on January 6 after slipping and falling on an icy pavement.
Many other local people suffered injuries in the below-zero conditions.
During the 'big freeze', Lancashire County Council focussed their gritting operation on "priority routes" such as main roads, leaving little grit left for side roads and pavements.
There are 240 grit bins in the Lancaster district and a small number of salt heaps in rural areas.
Adding 100 extra bins to the network would cost £35,000.
Lancaster City Council will meet to discuss the Greens' motion at a Morecambe Town Hall meeting tomorrow (February 3).
