Did councils used to grit and clear pavements?

[Edewibs]

We live in London and its been icy all week. Pavements around us have slowly changed from snow to ice and are now really dangerous especially as we live on a major road and on a hill. Dod councils used to clear pavements or am I imagining it? I can't imagine using them if I was in any way frail or elderly

My dad was a roadsweeper in the 80s/90s in London and when it showed or was very icy, they were sent out with their pushcart for rubbish full of grit instead and would distribute grit on the pavement instead of sweeping up rubbish. Same route.

They still do this in our area, but they collect the grit round the route. They also do it in anticipation of snow. It's not all pavements in all areas of the borough though

We had ice before we had snow. In fact we’ve hardly had any snow but everywhere is slippery from ice.
Our small road drops to the main road and though the main road is ok as it’s so busy, it’s terrifying getting to it.

It hasn’t really been like this for fourteen years (south east) because it takes snow and then days at or below freezing to become icy like it is now. They didn’t grit then. They’ve gritted on my main road because it’s very busy with pedestrians but actually it hasn’t made that much difference and I don’t like the dogs walking on it.

The yellow grit boxes are for locals to use, often placed where they are needed most, you are meant to take a spade out and throw it about.

When we lived in Scotland the pavements were gritted, not so in Northumberland.

As a child 80's I remember gritters with a wide spraying arch and good old fashioned solid grit that would liberally spray the pavements at the same time as the roads. Then when all the main roads were done they would do town centres. School caretakers would use grit bins to do around the schools.

Now we're lucky not to slide around on the main roads despite the council site saying they keep them clear - awful journeys home from work this week 😢 and considering whether or not it's safe to keep going in, but then as a key worker it's not safe for me not to.

I wear socks over my shoes when it's icy, stops me slipping.

As a child, people always removed snow and ice from the pavement outside their house and there was a grit box at the bottom of the hill.

When I was working I remember arriving one morning to find A& E full of elderly people with broken bones. It was really shocking. The council had decided not to grit the pavements to save money. The cost to the nhs and social care would have been enormous. One poor old lady had broken both wrists. She was going to need carers for weeks.

My memory of this goes back to 1999, university part of a city - no, there was no clearing or gritting of pavements outside of the main shopping areas/city centre. We had to walk to Uni on the road as it was so icy after snow and up a steep hill. Took about twice the time to get there!

When I lived in Islington about 10 years ago I remember being surprised and very grateful the footpath was gritted on a Sunday morning.

When I lived in Haringey during the Beast from the East the paths were frozen.

I should add that this week, our road (a small cul-de-sac) was gritted on about day 3 of frost/ice and then pavements were gritted by hand on day 5. I was quite impressed with that!

It's crazy that the roads have been gritted, whilst the pavements right next to them are icy death traps. It's an accident waiting to happen.

We live in a society dominated by cars. They are the priority.

I think it's Sweden that grits pavements first. It means A+E admissions are lower.

I was a child in 60s/70s and there was no gritting of pavements Each house used to clear their own front and those of any elderly neighbours. We also used salt once snow was cleared. Where I am now (S Wales) we have a large grit bin right opposite my house but no snow here

I was in Leeds a couple of days ago and all the city centre pavements were gritted.

They clear and grit pavements here (Scotland). Either by hand - shovelling grit for a flat bed - or with a mini pavement sized gritter. They don’t get all of the most quiet pavements, mind you. They don’t do ours cause it’s not a through route to anywhere, but in that situation, folk ideally grit their own patch of pavement. We had people in the local area Facebook group offering to grit for those who were elderly or disabled.

We're in South East London (not Croydon) and it's not about people gritting outside their houses - pavements around the south circular are not gritted and is really dangerous. It's also super hilly and up and down.

Well they have street sweepers and parks staff who do things like cutting grass, so would presumably be available during this weather when they can't do their usual tasks.

If a local council provides this service, it's almost certainly been contracted-out and to provide extra cover on 'snow days' will be cost far more than the usual day rate.

Have lived in an outer London borough for more than 40 years. Can remember my dad going to the bus stop wearing something attached to his shoes as he was scared of falling on the ice.

I remember skating around on the ice getting to work the other side of London including on a train station platform which was terrifying.

I do remember seeing some people clearing their own paths and outside their houses using grit supplied by the council. I remember grit/ salt bins dotted around. I've not seen anyone do this for years. My dad has always put salt out if temperatures were going to drop. DH and I used to do the path and pavement outside my property. I think some people used hot water to clear the paths and then the water possibly froze making it worse.

In our borough the pavements outside hospitals, GP clinics and schools as well as main roads and dangerous roads are supposed to be gritted by contractors. The pavements outside our schools definitely had not been done in advance or for the first few days. The school did clear paths inside the grounds.

@Edewibs some roads in this borough that should have been done and weren't were reported to councillors who took it up and got it remedied. Worth asking in case your road is on the list.

Yes, sadly we just had freezing sleet at 10pm and by the time I got up the next morning it had frozen into pack ice, there was never any snow.

I can't get to my car let alone get it off the road
The sheltered housing opposite has a car park which is just sheet ice and I'm amazed someone hasn't slipped yet

I saw a council bloke walking through the town centre the other day flinging handfuls of grit from a bucket as he went. We still have grit boxes here too but people only really use it on their driveways.

I've just been down to my nearest salt bin with my bucket and shovel, and thrown it around the little car park area around my house. Hopefully I'll be able to get my car out with grabbing the nearest man to give me a shove.

The bin was completely full which I was surprised about, and then a council guy turned up and told me they'd just filled them. Good stuff.

North London here; my residential road is like an ice rink and the pavements no better. The main roads and bus routes are fine but even there, the pavements are lethal. I am a fit and upright 40-something and feel nervous using them.