Calderdale gritting: 'I'm angry about this, I bet you are too' says councillor as Conservatives and Lib Dems plan to raise questions about contentious Calderdale gritting decision

Councillor George Robinson, a Conservative councillor who is a ward member for Hipperholme and Lightcliffe, plans to raise the issue which has caused outcry across the borough.

And Calderdale’s Liberal Democrats will put forward a motion at the same meeting about the decision.

The Courier revealed earlier this month that fewer roads would be gritted this winter in an attempt to cut £300,000 from the budget.

By comparing the council’s lists of which roads are currently on the precautionary gritting route and which will be on the route from December 1, we compiled THIS LIST of which roads have been axed.

There has been huge anger and concern from residents about the decision, with some in more rural areas fearing they will be left cut off if wintery weather and others worried there will be people injured or even killed because of accidents.

Councillor Robinson is urging people to let him know their views so he can represent them when he raises the issue at the council meeting on Wednesday.

In a letter to constituents, he said: “I’m angry about this. I bet you are too.

"I accept that difficult decisions are having to made about what the council spends and where. But I also think decisions should be made that benefit and support hard-working communities – and the choice (and it is a choice) to cut the numbers of roads that are gritted is, in my view, short-sighted, unfair and dangerous.

"So, fair to say, and I must be candid, the decision makes of the council (being the Labour cabinet members and Labour councillors) have got this one wrong.”

He plans to ask questions including for for details of the impact assessment of the decision, what other options have been considered, whether there will be any recourse for members of the public that are injured as a result of this policy and whether they will there be any more grit bins.

The Lib Dems’ motion is about the decision process and its transparency.

Leader of the group, and Greetland and Stainland ward councillor, Paul Bellenger said: “The Liberal Democrat group and I have criticised this decision and agree that consultation with other ward councillors and members of the public should have taken place before agreeing on which roads to cut from the precautionary routes.

“I will be asking the question that if precautionary is merely an unsubstantiated prediction, then surely all roads could be removed from this and treated only when we have substantiated prior knowledge of inclement weather.”

You can email to share your views about the decision at Councillor Robinson at [email protected].

Calderdale Council’s Labour group says all routes which are well-used, provide access to community facilities such as hospitals, schools and town centres, and roads which are needed by emergency services will still be gritted as a precaution if snow or icy weather is forecast.