Elderly were ‘prisoners at home’ for three days thanks to ungritted roads
ELDERLY residents have hit out at council bosses after claiming snow on ungritted roads made them ‘prisoners in their own home’ for three days.
Residents on Windermere Road in Bacup, which is on a hill, say they were unable to leave their homes during Saturday, Sunday and Monday after heavy snowfall because grit bins were empty.
Yvonne Peach, 69, who lives with her husband Alan and her 91-year-old mum Rose said it was impossible for them to get out in the car or on foot from Saturday until Tuesday.
She said: “I’m incensed about it. It’s nearly all elderly people on this road but Bacup is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to gritting the roads.
“We have grit bins but they haven’t been refilled even though we’ve had extreme weather warnings for snow and ice. Some of our neighbours have been imprisoned in their houses and some have been unable to get to GP or hospital appointments because the roads are just too treacherous to travel on.”
Anne Smith, 63, who also lives on the road with her husband David and daughter Heather said: “The snow meant I couldn’t get out in my car to collect my daughter from the train station in Todmorden. It’s extremely difficult living up here in the winter. Some people leave their cars at the bottom of the hill when it snows and then walk up but we’re not all young and fit enough for that.”
She added: “I take my grandchildren to school and back and I still have to get out and get things in the winter.
“Some residents here are in their 90s. I know times are hard for councils but they should think about this.”
Dwayne Lowe, Lancashire County Council’s area highways manager for East Lancashire, admitted the bins had not been filled for over a month but said residents could report empty ones.
He said: “The four grit bins on Windermere Road were all filled by October 18.
“We have a schedule to regularly refill grit bins but if one is empty, people can report it to our highways team either over the phone or online at lancashire.gov. uk/roads-parking-andtravel.”