GRITTERS ON STANDBY AS TWO NEW VEHICLES JOIN CITY FLEET
But concerns remain about street grit bins
STOKE-ON-TRENT’S gritters are now officially on standby ahead of the winter season – with two new vehicles joining the fleet.
While temperatures in the Potteries are set to remain comfortably above freezing for at least the next week, Stoke-on-trent City Council’s gritting fleet is now ready to treat roads should the need arise in the coming months.
Two of the council’s vehicles have been replaced with upgraded models, and highways chiefs are confident they have the resources to ensure Stoke-on-trent’s main roads keep flowing this winter.
The council has also carried out a review of its grit bin locations, after residents and councillors raised concerns over the issue last winter.
Councillor Dan Jellyman, cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said: “We’re always investing and upgrading our gritter fleet because we need to make sure our roads remain safe and passable during the winter period.
“While we may have fewer gritters than we had around five years ago, they are much better now.
“They’re more effective at spreading the grit so that it goes onto the carriageway.
“As in previous years, we will be gritting our strategic transport corridors, which includes major roads such as the A34 and A53, bus routes and outside schools.
“It doesn’t include the A500 and A50, as those are the responsibility of Highways England.”
Last winter, many of the complaints over gritting related to the location of grit bins, and the fact that many had been left empty.
This resulted in some streets and pavements, in Chell, Smallthorne, Stoke and other areas being left like ‘ice rinks’.
Mr Jellyman said the council had taken action to move grit bins to areas where they would be most needed.
He added: “We have reviewed the locations of our grit bins, and removed bins which were on gritting routes, and so weren’t really needed.
“This means we’ve been able to offer each councillor two grit bins to be placed in their wards – although not every councillor has taken us up on this offer yet.
“Our refilling of the grit bins can only be as good as the information we have, so I would urge people to reort empty bins to the council.”
But Labour group leader Jane Ashworth, who was among the councillors who raised concerns over the grit bins issue last year, does not believe the council’s steps fully address the problem.
She said: “It’s right that the council reviews the location of grit bins, but the fact is that there aren’t enough bins in Stoke-on-trent, so this is just about shuffling the problem around rather than solving it.
“They have offered to move grit bins from gritting routes to other streets, but in some cases they will still be needed on those routes.”