Pretending to grit

Reamer · 15-01-2010, 08:57

Now that the thaw is underway, is it time for the council to explain their gritting policy in full and whether it is designed to keep us on the road or off. During the recent heavy snow, people have seen gritters with full loads that weren't actually gritting. I notice our vociferous council leader has remained unusually quiet on this one.

link

Gritting reduced by 50 per cent in Lancashire (From Lancashire Telegraph)

accyman · 15-01-2010, 12:59

a lot of people have noticed thatteh gritters wernt gritting but doing the whole flashing light buisness as if they were but without dispersing teh gritt even when it was obvious the road they were driving on desperatly needed it.Somthing was mentioned on local radio about how peopole were noticing it too.

seems to be that they have a policy of seeming to be doing somthing but not actualy doing anything but it wasnt just our council pulling these tricks other areas reported teh same as well

im not sure whos responsible for gritting though iv always thought it was teh county councils job not teh local councils but i may be wrong

Reamer · 15-01-2010, 13:07

Seems to me it was all about saving dosh, but it's false economy cause the roads aren't gritted so bins can't be emptied. Almost three weeks without bin collections, town centre like a scating rink. Hyndburn council couldn't deliver essential services. Can I have a rebate ?

webglynne · 15-01-2010, 14:02

I was told, anmd I don't know if this is true but it is not the Local Councils jogb to grit. Could that be the job of the highways authority?

Tealeaf · 15-01-2010, 14:54

What's up with everyone up north today? When I was there men were men and no way was a little bit of snow cause for concern. What do we get now? Thread after thread of whingeing about the state of the roads and gritting or the absence of it..it's pathetic. If you lot are so concerned about driving from A to B in your beloved motor cars in a slight flurry of snow, then why don't you stick snow chains on your tyres instead of relying on the nanny state to bail you out?

garinda · 15-01-2010, 17:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

What's up with everyone up north today? When I was there men were men and no way was a little bit of snow cause for concern. What do we get now? Thread after thread of whingeing about the state of the roads and gritting or the absence of it..it's pathetic. If you lot are so concerned about driving from A to B in your beloved motor cars in a slight flurry of snow, then why don't you stick snow chains on your tyres instead of relying on the nanny state to bail you out?

That's rich.

It only takes someone in London with dandruff to shake their head a bit quick, and the whole city closes down.

accyman · 15-01-2010, 18:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

That's rich.

It only takes someone in London with dandruff to shake their head a bit quick, and the whole city closes down.

no fear of that from tealeaf though hes more likely to be a victim of it rather than the cause

not that theres owt wrong with been a slaphead

Reamer · 15-01-2010, 18:18

As far as I know local roads, side roads and town centre are done by the council whilst major routes like motorways are done by Highways agency/LCC.
Nanny State doesn't come into it. These are local services paid out of local taxation. The original post was in response to whether the council had provided an adequate service.
My missus saw an old girl go ass over t*t the other day whilst crossing a road in the town centre. Don't think a snow chain would have helped really.

blazey · 17-01-2010, 08:33

I saw this occur on Rhyddings Street as well.

garinda · 17-01-2010, 08:50

Perhaps people should just 'pretend' to pay some of their council tax, to cover the costs of pretending to grit the roads.

accyman · 17-01-2010, 09:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

Perhaps people should just 'pretend' to pay some of their council tax, to cover the costs of pretending to grit the roads.

iv been doing that with dodgt £20 notes for years lol

better stick a j/k in there and a smilet too for good measure

webglynne · 17-01-2010, 13:36

Has no-one told tealeaf of a fatality due to slipping on ice up here?

Stanleymad · 17-01-2010, 17:02

Posted via Mobile Device. Just seen gritters out tonite actually gritting which suprised me as there is no forecast for frost or snow ?? What a waste when we were struggling for grit other week.

accyman · 17-01-2010, 18:35

what makes me laugh is when councilors go on radio saying teh cost is too great to gritt effectivly yet how much was blown on putting a fair ride in accy center the other year for example for a self indulgent act by the council to do with somthing or other relating to the mayor or was it a celibratory party that had thousands thrown at it.

im sure other people can think of many many things the council squanders money on and as for the town center didnt the dimwit that designed it sit and thing about how slippy the pavements would become in rain never mind snow

money isnt a problem , how its spent is a problem and this is what happens when people with no finacial background get let loose with a multi million pound budget and decide how its spent over biscuits and tea

the council system needs a complete overhaull so that there is a person at the top with propper financial training who is employed not elected who has the final say on things like cheques and oversees every penny of OUR money that is spent from packets of biscuits to new houses

banjoman · 17-01-2010, 19:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by accyman

the council system needs a complete overhaull so that there is a person at the top with propper financial training who is employed not elected who has the final say on things like cheques and oversees every penny of OUR money that is spent from packets of biscuits to new houses

I believe Russia had that for a long time, called it communism.

whoever is in charge of gritting is in a no win situation. If they buy too much they get hammered (see all the stuff now going on about swine flu and the vaccine) , if they dont get enough then they are also berated.

The recent weather was unexpected and they did their best to get more supplies in, but as lots of northern hemisphere countries had the same issues there was more demand than supply.

I`m with tealeaf. If you want EVERY road and payment gritted, and everything else you choose to comment on about the councils, are you willing to pay the increase in council tax to provide it ?

As for the proper financial training, we have this with Mervyn King head of the banks etc...didnt stop the banks having a bit of a problem did it. We have experienced doctors as Chief Medical Officers, but the NHS is still having issues.

In my view the issue is that we elect people to govern, then spend every waking moment trying to prove how bad they are, rather than saying "just get on with it". I wonder how much of Gordon Browns time is spent "watching his back" rather than actually governing. How much more could he get done if he wasn`t constantly being questioned as to why he hasnt commented on "issue X"...I think it would be totally fair of him to turn round and say "I`m busy and thats dealt with by someone else. Take it up with them". yet we dont let him...