Forum Topic

Are the Council ready to grit the roads?

Now the snow has arrived, are the council ready with the stock piles of grit, to do  our roads?

Nicola Howard ● 4993d41 Comments

Nicola Howard ● 4993d

This Council? Ready for something? You're having laugh.And no doubt Enterprise's long-awaited return to the "normal" waste collection schedule will be disrupted because elf & safety will prevent them from driving their ridiculous recycling juggernauts down narrow residential streets that have a dusting of snow.Bah humbug!

Peter Millman ● 4993d

Actually our road has been gritted several times this winter including very recently...not all of it but the parts at the road narrowing at least.the snow doesn't seem to be lying but is unpleasant to cycle in - and jolly slippy.

Sara Nathan ● 4993d

Goldsmith Avenue looked as if it was gritted yesterday afternoon.

Jill Williams ● 4993d

PeterElf and safety!  An elf would do the job properly and safely.The gritting a couple of weeks ago, was to lull us into a false sense of security or, working out, how to cock it up.

Nicola Howard ● 4992d

The council knew the snow was coming, why haven't the side roads been gritted?

Nicola Howard ● 4989d

Exactly - Nice of the council to look after its residents and ratepayers. Cant do enough for us can they?

Bob Crossley ● 4989d

The side roads here in West Acton are lethal....roads that a lot of children take to the school in Noel Road.......!!!!

Ellie Rose ● 4989d

The side roads very rarely get gritted. They obviously don't consider them important enough. I guess their logic (if they have any that is!) is to make sure the main roads keep clear for buses etc. Previously the paths of the main 'thoroughfares', i.e. Horn Lane, High Street, were gritted, but no where else, even roads that are routes to and from schools don't get done. I walked down Horn Lane this morning, but there was no evidence of the path being gritted.

Amanda Knights ● 4989d

So worthwhile. Bought these a few years ago. Walking on snow and ice a revelation. Slippy when off the ice, but just take them off and put in your pocket.

Bob Crossley ● 4989d

Came home early from work... Walking back from Acton Main Line Horn Lane HAS been gritted (although pretty sparsely) with some browny-orange grit - but NOT all the way along.Quite walkable at the moment as its the crunchy underfoot snow, although a little slippery in places. Probably going to change if temperatures dip overnight.

James Vertigan ● 4989d

I wonder how many elderly people will suffer broken bones, from falls and slips, due to this belligerent council, not caring and, failing to grit the roads?  They claim to be ready and, have stock piles of grit, so why do they not practice what they preach.Come on Ealing Council, get gritting the roads and pavements, there is worse to come, but, there again, failure is your forte.

Nicola Howard ● 4989d

Acton, under Ealing Council's "care", has been massively left neglected regarding the gritting today.  It's appalling.  Side roads are lethal AND main roads too which clearly haven't been gritted either at all or in its entirety.  West Acton.....untouched too and I saw an accident there around noon outside a school where the children were coming out....car slid into a parked car with a mum and baby inside.  The roads are clearly not a priority, so forget the pavements.  Let down by the current Ealing Council again.  Not fit for purpose and little value for money.  Wish I had another "shop" to frequent, but we're stuck with them.

Angela White ● 4989d

We could blame the current council for many things, but I'm sure they are no worse than many previous council administrations when it comes to gritting side roads and pavements - from memory of many past winters, it's just not seen as a priority. I don't recall pavements or side roads round here ever being gritted, even when the snow and ice lasted several days.

Lorna Dodd ● 4989d

They've not made it a priority for some time but I can certainly remember the gritters being out and about over the past 5 or 6 years.  I haven't even seen one this time nor evidence of one in the side roads, certainly.

Angela White ● 4989d

There was a gritter on Grafton, around 7:50, but, you guessed it, No Grit.  Should be plenty of fun tomorrow, when it all freezes.

Nicola Howard ● 4988d

Like everything, they'll have a budget and I don't expect other parts of London are any different.  Also, very few people bother with proper winter tyres and don't drive appropriately in the snow.  In some countries, there's no point gritting as there's too much snow and it's too cold... they cope.

N Roberts ● 4988d

But, this is Merry Olde England.  Our illustrious, dysfunctional, parasitic, ruling Council have boasted about how much grit/salt they have, so where is it?  BTW, I have all weather tyres.

Nicola Howard ● 4988d

I don't really expect the council to grit pavements - no previous one has done so that I recollect.But why dont people clear their own frontage? Obviously not the old and frail but the rest of us.The answer in my case is that I went out as the snow started and have only just got in. But I would expect to sweep my path and frontage and put salt down. Yet on the way walking back from East Acton tube only two houses had done so - both in Shaa road. In some countries it's the resident's legal responsibility to clear "their" snow. I think that's a good thing.

Sara Nathan ● 4988d

Wasn't there some instances of people throwing buckets of hot water on the snow and it turning into an icing rink. For which they were sued. Or is that an urban myth?

Bob Crossley ● 4988d

Two packets of cheap cooking salt @68p each, from the newsagent on Horn Ln, is enough to clear the front path and, the pavement.  Job done.

Nicola Howard ● 4988d

Exactly so Nicola and yes, Bob it is indeed an urban myth - as are the related ones about even if you just sweep it and there's an accident, it's your legal responsibility.My understanding is that anything done in good faith of that sort is fine. (though throwing hot water seems peculiarly idiotic!)

Sara Nathan ● 4988d

Bit late doing it, but yesterday was very busy and then too dark and freezing to do much late at night.....but husband has just salted the pathway and pavement outside our house this morning.  Bought 4 large bags of it last spring (60kg bags if I remember correctly) but it's storing it - it's taking up so much room.

Angela White ● 4988d

No grit on Horn Lane and roads off it.  Terrible. Wonder if someone has to be seriously injured and then sue Ealing Council before they buck their ideas up.

Ana Strachan ● 4987d

"This time, when it snowed, people decided to do something about it and built a wall of snow."They want either Southern Vectis, or the Isle of Wight Council to take responsibility and grit the road," said 47-year-old Mr Strickland.Some of those involved in the protest hurled snowballs at police who had been called to the scene.Police at one stage faced a barrage of snowballs but adopted a "light touch" approach.They were joined by Isle of Wight Council highways and Southern Vectis staff, who gritted the road and pavement, and dismantled the wall.

Bob Crossley ● 4987d

Sounds rather effective - though unnecessary surely to abuse the cops.

Sara Nathan ● 4987d

I don't know what happened to the grit bins you used to see on street corners. It surely would not cost much to provide these and keep them topped up and then it would just be up to locals to help spread the grit as a neighbourly gesture. It would be so much more positive to hear more people talk about what THEY can do for their community rather than lambast the council at every opportunity. Would those who complain most about the council not doing everthing to perfection also be the first to complain about council tax rises? What has happened to the old British spirit?

Tony Bailey ● 4986d

What has happened to the old British spirit?We learnt how to complain.The bend on Baldwyn Gdns is a treacherous ice rink.  Yesterday a hit and run driver, hit and caused damage to 3 cars.  Fortunately, someone got the registration number.

Nicola Howard ● 4985d

I'm with Sara and Nicola. If everyone did their own bit of pavement (and perhaps that of their elderly neighbours), most of the job would be done.  Scary how icy it is in places just getting the children to school.

Kim Bobsin ● 4985d

I'm with you guys too, Kim.  I see people walking on the road in order to avoid the icy pavements (not much choice I suppose) but that shouldn't have to happen.

Angela White ● 4985d

I believe the grit bins were removed for a reason - trouble is I can't remember the reason!Must be one of those 'senior moments' ;-)

Jean F Fernandez ● 4985d

Yes - of course, the council could grit every single road so that people have no one to blame, but who is going to pay for the vast fleets of gritters and drivers?  What would people be happy for the council to cut in order to pay for it?There's a grit bin in Perryn Road if anyone wants to try it out, although it's probably full of beer cans and fried chicken boxes.

N Roberts ● 4985d

If there were grit bins, the street cleaners could scatter some grit. They can't have anything else to do in the snow - no street cleaning seems to take place. It would  not cost the council any more than paying them for doing nothing.

Amanda Knights ● 4984d

Ah ha!  But, Amanda, that would mean extra work and the street cleaners coming out in the snow first!

Angela White ● 4984d

Of course, silly me, expecting street cleaners to go out in the snow! I expect they spent a few days in a nice cozy office or at home whilst still being paid.Another reason they probably couldn't do it, is it would involve more than the use of a 'litter-picker' tool and from what I have seen, that is all some of the street cleaners seem able to use. (e.g. picking up individual leaves with a litter-picker in Ealing!)

Amanda Knights ● 4984d

How do you know they are being paid? It is quite likely that Enterprise have a pool of casual staff on zero hours contracts, called in when required or not........

Iain Muir ● 4984d

I did not think that street cleaners would be employed as casual staff, so assumed they would be paid. Perhaps I am wrong - sorry to have offended, but they could have been employed to grit the pavements instead of sweeping them, that was my point.

Amanda Knights ● 4984d

Since the demise of our late, lamented tortoise, Freddie, I have had one bag of vivarium sand, surplus to requirements.Offering it on Streetbank has been unsuccessful.I propose to grit my path and pavement with it when the next icy weather strikes.Apparently less polluting than salt.

Sara Nathan ● 4981d

Sorry to hear about Freddie.. :-(I'm sure he'd be proud of the Eco-friendly alternative.

Angela White ● 4981d

It was very sad: we came in from visiting son one June afternoon and she was dead on the kitchen floor. The vet couldn't be sure but thought it might be acute anaemia (I didnt know tortoises got that)The whole family was really very upset.

Sara Nathan ● 4981d

I can imagine, Sara.

Angela White ● 4981d