Forum Topic

Has anyone seen a footpath gritted?

Much of Brentford is treacherous with black ice and yet in Ealing and over in Kew the footpaths and side streets have been gritted yesterday and today.Why can they at the very least, drop off a grit bag in each street? People can slip on ice 7 days a week, Weather is also on a 24/7 roster.Negligence could cost more than an arm or a leg

Michael Brandt ● 5977d16 Comments

partly due to large number of fractures...  See front page

Philippa Bond ● 5964d

A colleague at work commented that in Croydon they still have boxes of grit and salt in the streets and that they used to have even more in Lambeth when she lived there.

Philippa Bond ● 5969d

definitely safer walking on the road. We went to Staines on Sunday to visit friends and ended up walking everywhere on the road, all day, and everybody else seemed to be doing the same thing. The pavement had ice in places that looked about an inch thick!

Stephanie Kitsune ● 5974d

I drove to the supermarket early this morning for a final trawl for milk, bread etc and most of the pedestrians were walking in the road as being safer than the pavement.

Susan Kelly ● 5974d

So it's a health and safety issue for a resident to spread grit but it's OK for a resident to break an arm falling over on sheet ice.It's shameful and just underlines how useless and third world we have become as a society.In the US and Northern European countries as far as Russia, They are prepared.Obviously, they get this stuff for weeks on end and every year. But in some US states it is like here. Years can pass without so much as a snowflake or a hard frost. However, they are prepared for when it does get bad. By using local volunteers, ordinary people give their time to help out and just get their costs paid.They clear paths, use snowploughs and generally free up authority staff who tackle the more risky and demanding tasks.it is well organised and works and yes, they do drop off grit to streets and in gets spread by volunteers. Here it would probably be nicked and flogged on Ebay or simply lobbed though someone's car window.This is what national service should be, not militaristic but always having a youthful resource to serve the public in demanding situations. If it does not happen then at least people are trained for it and that lasts for life.

Anthony Waller ● 5975d

Temperatures could drop as low as -6°C tonight as Hounslow prepares to endure one of the coldest nights of the year. The Met Office claims temperatures in central London will plunge to -2°C - with the outer boroughs dropping to levels well below freezing. The recent snowy spells and subsequent icy roads have already caused chaos on roads and public transport - and problems could be ongoing as the cold snap continues. Ahead of what experts believe will be the coldest night in the capital in 2009, Hounslow Council issued a statement about the “severe weather conditions” hitting the borough. Councillor Barbara Reid, the council’s executive member for environment, said: “All the council’s gritters are working round the clock to clear the main roads and we have already gritted the roads twice since yesterday afternoon. In addition we still have sufficient stock to continue gritting as and when necessary. “We understand the frustrations of residents who have been faced with treacherous conditions during this particularly severe freeze and we are continuing to monitor the situation closely to ensure that gritting teams are sent out at the best time. “However we would also like to urge drivers to take extra care on the roads at this time and travel if the journey is absolutely necessary. They should also allow extra time for their journey and ensure their vehicle is in good working order.” In Isleworth, West Middlesex Hospital shut its accident and emergency department to ambulances for more than four hours last night because of the icy weather.

Paul Fisher ● 5975d

"Has the council ran out off Grit 4 the Roads and pavements??"It's more likely that they've run out of staff to do the work. In the days before Thatcherism, gritting would have been undertaken by other council manual workers doing overtime. Now most other services are performed by contractors under private tenders, leaving very few personnel available to be transferred to gritting duties when required. Obviously you cannot have staff employed solely to carry out a task that is only needed on a few days each year.

Ian Fillingham ● 5975d

Thank-you for that information Matt, so nice to see that Councillors like you and John can answer a reasonable question instead of resorting to sarcasm like some.

Vanessa Smith ● 5976d

In the past 3 days: My sister Slipped and fell, yesterday My wife slipped and hurt herself then today i went down on my Backside Has the council ran out off Grit 4 the Roads and pavements??

Simon Anderson ● 5976d

I was contacted by a Brentford resident today re this. I emailed our Highways department; here is their reply:The roads in the borough are gritted according to the daily weather forecast from the Met Office and unfortunately we do not grit all the roads in the borough.  Only predetermined routes are gritted and these are usually the main roads.  Our Policy is to grit all major footpaths including high street footpaths and areas outside schools and hospitals only when it snows.I've just seen a bus skid into a parked car and will be asking when the road was last gritted. Hope everyone can stay safe in this nasty weather.

Matt Harmer ● 5976d

I worked just off Hounslow High St.for well over 10 years and I can remember it being treated, the engineering bricks that were used are slippery at the best of times, in this they are lethal.

Vanessa Smith ● 5976d

Common sense says a grit bag on each street is a good idea, financial reality is it'll never happen.  Firstly the cost of the raw material itself, then the cost of delivering it to every street (because there's bound to be some kind of Health and Safety Regulation that doesn't allow it to be delivered in conjunction with refuse collection etc) etc.I don't know how Hounslow's books look at the mo (I know of one Council which needs to make £10 million savings in the next financial year) but if we want these type of things then we've got to expect to pay more Council Tax.

Adam Beamish ● 5976d

And it was so much better in the old days eh Vanessa?

Paul Fisher ● 5977d

I don't think it is Hounslow policy to grit footpaths. I remember raising a complaint in the past and being advised it would not happen.

John Connelly ● 5977d

Are you having a laugh? Even Hounslow High St. was treacherous yesterday, we did use to get some side roads gritted but not now, they are like ice rinks today.

Vanessa Smith ● 5977d

Very dangerous indeed.  I wonder what the winter gritting contract says?Son went off this morning with huge boots and got as far as the end of the road then fell hurting his arm and knee.We had some rock salt delivered which works a treat but is very expensive from builders merchants - maybe the Council could allow people to buy it directly from them at a low cost?They could start with 'by the bucket' and go up to larger sizes, making it more available for people to use.  We have given a bucket to one neighbour and another neighbour is coming later to take another bucket to do their doorstep and front pathway.

Sarah Felstead ● 5977d