Facebook site vents fury on gritting policy
FED-UP residents in West Lothian have created a Facebook site to log complaints about the council's gritting policy following a nightmare festive season on the county's roads.
West Lothian Council has faced fierce criticism this winter of its policy to concentrate on main roads, leaving residential areas dangerously icy before and after Christmas.
The council has been inundated with complaints regarding the state of secondary routes, which has left county residents stuck in the snow in their own housing schemes throughout the festive period.
A total of 3,509 enquiries have been received by the council from the public during the period 1 December to 5 January. Of these, 143 were complaints for road operations.
While the council says it has spread more grit on county roads this year so far than it did throughout the whole winter period last year, a group of residents have vented their anger on the Facebook site.
The page – called West Lothian Tax Payers for Gritted Streets & filled grit bins – says: "Are you sick of the council failing to grit your street and fill your grit bins? Then join this group to show your disgust at the lack of service."
The page also features photographs of snowy streets and a number of residents have posted comments regarding their feelings on the gritting controversy.
One wrote: ". . . the main road up to Roman Camp is a major disaster waiting to happen!!! It runs parallel with the railway line and it's pure ice.
"Only thing stopping you skidding onto railway line is a flimsy wee wire fence. No sign of grit anywhere. Not be long before a car's on the track and a nasty train crash occurs!"
Other posts include: "Some bins, in streets on slopes, with mostly elderly residents, have not been refilled since the first snow, i.e. the weekend preceding Christmas!"
Another said: "Our grit bin hasn't even materialised this year. Cars abandoned on a slope into street, causing more hazards."
The council has reported private firms to police after workers witnessed some emptying the council's public grit bins minutes after being filled, which has apparently happened on "numerous" occasions this year.
Council leader Peter Johnston said the local authority has a statutory duty to prioritise main routes, and stressed that the council is now directing every possible resource to alleviate the secondary route problems.
He said: "It is a nonsensical suggestion to abandon safe routes and would be a breach of our statutory responsibility.
"We were working through a holiday period and can't force people to work, but I'd like to thank the volunteers who worked 18-hour shifts through Christmas and New Year.
"As of 5am this morning (Tuesday] we have brought in every possible resource and re-directed them into residential areas, which is exactly the same policy as previous years.
"There is no cash limit to our budget and our roads department has operational discretion, which I believe it has used very well."
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Weather for Bathgate
Monday 21 May 2012
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