Why are councils not gritting roads or pavements

[Springswallow]

I remember in the 70s seeing the gritter out at the first sniff of snow or ice
Every time I've gone out the last few days someone has slipped over
Twice an ambulance was called to local Tesco , because someone slipped over and hurt themselves
Tesco customer service told me ,it's their policy to not grit Tesco paths or roads , because that means they are taking responsibility,and if someone slips they could sue them ..
But our town is an ice rink as well ,so the council are not gritting either
Madness

Pretty good here, in Perth. Surprised us, in fact. Was useless in Lancashire.

Worried about damage to their car???

I’m in Aberdeenshire and the answer is that there simply are not enough gritters and manpower to do every single road, even with contracting farmers in to help. Residents have to be doing their part too, clearing the pavement outside their homes, accessing grit bins if there are any (a sore point here as many were recently removed).

The priority is always main access routes, but conditions here currently mean those routes need to be recleared often. There’s been a lot of great community spirit, people helping each other, digging out their roads and that of others, helping push people out of drifts, because you can’t sit back and expect gritters and staff to be produced out of thin air for a week and then put back in their box for months at a time.

Our village has done okay. We have a factor for our estate who have been round daily clearing and gritting, residents have been out shovelling, council has been doing the main routes, but no bin collections as those staff are currently working their arses off in shitty conditions and then getting criticised on social media.

Oh and people need to help themselves and be responsible for their own safety. Wear appropriate footwear, get ice grips to slip over your shoes - they cost about £10 and will stop you falling on ice, if you’re vulnerable order your shopping online or ask for help if you can and don’t risk going out when the pavements are at their worst.

My then 90yo granny insisted on going out on icy pavements a few years ago, despite my dad offering to have food delivered and begging her not to, fell and broke her collarbone. She was in hospital for weeks but it was so frustrating as she didn’t need to be out in the first place! And that started a rapid decline in her health.

We're all gritted here in my London borough. The council don't do the pavements of our residential road but we have a grit box and we residents do it.

We clear the path outside our house.
But have been warned if people slip on the gritted part they can sue you.

That's why I just used to do a strip of pavement and leave the rest. Then it was their choice if they walked on the cleared bit.

But as I said above, no-one else along the street cleared their bit, so I gave up.

So what ARE they spending our money on exactly? Council taxes continue to rise but every year they do less and less. Where DOES our money go? Feels like a con!

I think it mainly goes to social care, that costs a huge amount

Same where I am. I walked to my local railway station yesterday morning and I went via the High Street as I thought it would be safer than less used residential roads. Not a bit of it. No grit anywhere, not even on the road so no overspill to the pavement.

I think it's safer to walk on snow than a cleared section which ices over again.

It's a difficult one but I know in some other countries you have to do it (goodness knows when you are meant to do it if you need to get to work in the morning - get up at 4am to do it?)

I think it's safer to walk on snow than a cleared section which ices over again.

I always used to put salt down, so once I cleared it, it stayed cleared.

Snow is ok to walk on, when it becomes so dangerous is when it thaws a bit then freezes, or gets trodden down hard by people walking on it and freezes.

Fresh deep snow yeah.

Not the permasnow at this time of year though. Snows freezes snows freezes etc etc. it becomes lethal.

Our council removed 800 grit bins over the last few years. We are at quite a high elevation in the West Midlands, so when it shows, we get it bad.

Roads and pavements have been like ice rinks, local A&E says it’s been inundated with broken arms, wrists and head injuries from people slipping.

Schools will not stop banging on about attendance and lateness.

I had to wait for dh to get home the other morning from dropping our eldest at secondary school in the next town to take her in.

I had back surgery in November and Our drive and pavement all the way to school were like glass, there was no way I was risking slipping.

Year 1 dd got to school for 9:15 (I called them to let them know she would be a little late and why), so not the end of the world, and the attendance officer called me to tell me I had been irresponsible not getting her there for morning registration.

(Sorry that was a tangent but I’m pissed off about it).

Yes, fresh snow is okay to walk on, especially with slip on snow spikes.

But it’s ice that’s the issue. Even snow spikes become ice skates.

Central Scotland and not seen a gritter all week, only the main roads are prioritised anyway? Nothing where we live so local residents using the grit bin where they are close to it and we bought our own supply, which is a disgrace given the extortionate council tax rises earlier this year. Family in a different council area get there small estates gritted regularly.

Mostly on social care and SEN.

Absolutely no issue with this but shouldn’t the government be funding this from their coffers, with the Education Secretary overseeing this - or however this works I’ve no idea. Feels like a failure on their part. Council tax should be for bins, roads and street lamps shouldn’t it? Realise this is probably a different thread so I’ll shush haha.

Our council decided to remove alot of our grit boxes last year and the ones that remain are already empty, probably hadn't been filled. Grit sold out everywhere. So many accidents, the pavements are treacherous.

We are in Sussex and they’ve been out twice a day since the cold front started. They can’t today as it’s currently raining but if it turns to snow we may have a problem as it won’t have been gritted

No sign of a gritter in my area. There aren't even any grit bins like there used to be.
Ive decided if its too icy again tomorrow I won't be taking ds to nursery after falling today. I was slipping and sliding coming up the hill I was just slipping back down.

And @needmorebooks @PickAChew

Councils are trapped in a vicious spiral created by Conservative Party policy: year-on-year cuts to local government funding alongside rapidly rising demand and costs. The number of adults requiring social care continues to grow, as do the numbers of children with SEND, while councils are legally required to meet these needs.

In social care, councils deprived of money, lacked the capital to open new public care facilities as demand increased. The gap was filled by private providers, whose fees rise year after year. Councils must pay these higher costs, profits flow to companies and investment shareholders, and council budgets are squeezed even further.

The same dynamic operates in education. Rising pupil numbers and SEND needs sit alongside a statutory duty to provide suitable education for every child.

Yet Conservative funding cuts, combined with the academy programme, prevent councils from opening new schools. Academy trusts are often reluctant to open special schools, leaving a severe shortage of specialist places. Parents understandably enforce their children’s legal rights; where no local provision exists, courts direct councils to use private providers. These placements can exceed £100,000 per child per year, including rapidly rising transport costs for SEND pupils, all paid from already-depleted council budgets.

This downward cycle leaves councils with less money each year, higher statutory costs, and fewer tools to plan provision.

Currently, the public oppose Labour* * tax rises, leaving local government caught between shrinking resources, escalating obligations, and inherited national policy choices, currently beyond their control.