Gritting Improvements Fall Short, Winter Review Delayed to 2010/11 (South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats)

South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats <info@secambslibdems.org.uk>

Gritting Improvements Fall Short, Winter Review Delayed to 2010/11

October 14, 2009 3:37 PM

Highways bosses have failed to give the go-ahead for winter gritting on major stretches of the county made hazardous by ice and snow.

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have expressed their disappointment in a review of gritting areas after 18 proposed routes were rejected, 9 existing routes were removed and only 10 routes were added countywide.

They have welcomed some improvements contained in Cambridgeshire County Council's Winter Review of Gritting, including the gritting of cycle bridges, but claim they don't go far enough.

Lib Dem County Councillor Kilian Bourke said: "This is not the radical improvement of the gritting network that we anticipated. The Council needs to be looking at gritting all heavily used cycleways and footways as a matter of course. The County Council is now assuring us that a "major in-depth review" is underway and will be completed in time for Winter 2010/11. Why couldn't it be done in time for this Winter?"

"Moreover, there has been absolutely no consultation with local people or their councillors on what routes should be added to the list."

Disappointment is greatest in rural areas. Hardwick County Councillor Fiona Whelan said: "For rural areas this review offers little, if anything, to improve on last year's gritting service. None of the residents from my local villages will be able to cycle in to town, which is where the cycleway improvements are. People are being forced on to cars because there is next to no rural public transport, and now no chance to use a cycle without risking life and limb. So it's increased car congestion or an accident."

Cllr Whelan added: "I specifically requested that Green End be added to the gritting route, and it has been rejected on the grounds that both 'ends' of it are already gritted. The whole point is that the main doctors' surgery for the local villages is in Green End, which lots of people have to use on a daily basis--not the bits on either end!"

South Cambs District and County Councillor John Bachelor said: "Residents don't want to wait until Winter of 2010 for a decision, and I don't think they should have to."