Royal Borough Makes Grit Available

The Royal Borough is helping to keep local areas on the move during the current treacherous weather conditions by providing bags of grit to parish councils for use in their local communities.

The latest in the council’s continuing efforts to keep borough residents safe, the initiative is enabling parish councils to use it in places they identify as a local priority.

So far more than half of parish councils have taken advantage of the service, ordering up to five one-tonne bags of grit for local use.

Sunninghill and Ascot Parish Council made the following statement: “ In accordance with an initiative by the Borough, Sunninghill & Ascot Parish Council has ordered a supply of grit (Sharps Sand) for delivery to Victory Field, London Road, Ascot- hopefully on Wednesday 23 December. The grit will be delivered to the entrance of Victory Field, outside the height barrier, and Parish residents are invited to help themselves.”

Cllr Colin Rayner, lead member for highways and streetcare, said: “We are keeping in close touch with ward councillors and parish councils and are pleased to be able to offer this additional service to help them focus safety efforts on very specfic local areas. I am delighted that there has been a very encouraging take up of the offer and I am sure even more will follow before Christmas.”

Graham Leaver, clerk to both Old Windsor and Datchet councils, said he was very pleased to get the grit and praised the Royal Borough for the efficieny of the service.  He said: “I had a telephone call from the council to say the grit was available to parishes if they wanted it. I called the number mid-morning yesterday (Tuesday) and by lunchtime it was delivered.”

The gritting team have been out again overnight to grit primary and secondary routes and have been concentrating on the main town centre footways and on car parks this morning (Wednesday 23 December). The council is also responding on a priority basis to areas of local concern raised by ward councillors and also by residents through the customer service centre.

As a result of the gritting programme the majority of buses ran yesterday and are on the road again today.

Cllr Rayner said:  “The council’s forward planning, which meant we doubled our salt stocks at the beginning of the winter, has paid off and we are also replenishing stocks regularly to ensure we can continue our usual gritting programme, unlike some other local authorities which I understand are cutting back.

“These are particularly difficult times for everyone and the council is doing everything possible – and working with our partners – to support our community and keep people safe. We are working round the clock to keep roads open and community wardens are out and about in their patrol areas to offer support where they can, particularly for the more vulnerable members of our borough.

“This very cold snap with heavy snow fall has severely tested our gritting teams and our gritting plans over the last week and I am glad to say they have in the main worked very well. Naturally we are always looking to improve and will be reassessing our strategy in the New Year to see if there are any lessons to be learned to help us improve in the future. We thank the residents for being patient in these difficult times and for helping their neighbours. We are sorry that, like all other local authorities, we cannot grit all roads and footpaths.”