Councillors meet with Highways officers over gritting mayhem

I, together with a number of other Southport councillors, met with senior Council officers today to try and get answers on why there has been such poor performance locally in clearing main roads and town centre pavements of snow and ice.

The councillors including both Liberal Democrats and Conservatives asked a wide range of questions about the Council's response to the severe weather including why no snow ploughs were sent to the main roads in Southport, why Chapel Street and Lord Street were left like ice rinks, why the large snow fall didn't appear to be classed as an emergency, why there was a delay in redeploying staff  to clearing pavements, for full details on the activities of the gritting vehicles and many more. 

I will try to detail the answers in another post shortly but I must give one answer to a question which many people have been asking - Sefton did not sell or give any grit to Liverpool Council.

The Officers will be providing a report at next weeks Southport Area Committee meeting (5th January at 6:30pm at Southport town Hall)

When the going gets tough

Last year a number of people spoke to me about the possibility of being sued if they cleared the snow and ice from the pavement outside their homes. In fact, the "You and Yours" program on Radio 4 actually did a report on this very subject.  So given the situation we now find ourselves in I am pleased to pass on some information I have received from the Government courtesy of the North Meols Civic Society

There's no law stopping you from clearing snow and ice on the pavement outside your home or from public spaces. It's unlikely you'll be sued or held legally responsible for any injuries on the path if you havecleared it carefully. Follow the snow code when clearing snow and ice safely.

The snow code - tips on clearing snow and ice from pavements or public spaces

Prevent slips

Pay extra attention to clear snow and ice from steps and steep pathways - you might need to use more salt on these areas. If you clear snow and ice yourself, be careful - don’t make the pathways more dangerous by causing them to refreeze. But don’t be put off clearing paths because you’re afraid someone will get injured.

Remember, people walking on snow and ice have responsibility to be careful themselves. Follow the advice below to make sure you clear the pathway safely and effectively.

Clear the snow or ice early in the day

It’s easier to move fresh, loose snow rather than hard snow that has packed together from people walking on it. So if possible, start removing the snow and ice in the morning. If you remove the top layer of snow in the morning, any sunshine during the day will help melt any ice beneath. You can then cover the path with salt before nightfall to stop it refreezing overnight.

Use salt or sand - not water

If you use water to melt the snow, it may refreeze and turn to black ice. Black ice increases the risk of injuries as it is invisible and very slippery. You can prevent black ice by spreading some salt on the area you have cleared. You can use ordinary table or dishwasher salt - a tablespoon for each square metre you clear should work. Don’t use the salt found in salting bins - this will be needed to keep the roads clear.
Be careful not to spread salt on plants or grass as it may cause them damage. If you don’t have enough salt, you can also use sand or ash. These won’t stop the path icing over as well as salt, but will provide good grip under foot.

Take care where you move the snow

When you’re shovelling snow, take care where you put it so it doesn’t block people’s paths or drains. Make sure you make a path down the middle of the area to be cleared first, so you have a clear surface to walk on. Then shovel the snow from the centre of the path to the sides.

Offer to clear your neighbours’ paths

If your neighbour will have difficulty getting in and out of their home, offer to clear snow and ice around their property as well. Check that any elderly or disabled neighbours are alright in the cold weather. If you’re worried about them, contact your local council.

Wrong kind of Snow !

Many many residents have contacted me to express their shock and dismay that the roads and footpaths show absolutely no improvement almost a week after the snow fell.


I have asked officers from the Highways Team to attend the Southport Area Committee meeting on the 5th January to report on how they have handled the current situation and to answer questions from councillors and residents. 

I am sure that the current procedures and protocols used may be adequate to deal with frost or light snow fall but I think they need to be reviewed in light of this the second year of heavy snow fall.

Any review must also recognise the demographics of the population in Southport specifically the large number of elderly people who have in effect been housebound since the cold weather arrived.  I will also be asking why the main shopping areas are almost impassable in what is the busiest period in the run up to Christmas.

The case of the missing grit !

Remember this - Park Avenue in the snow in the days before Christmas last year. Whilst it looks picturesque, your Lib Dem team can confirm that there were huge problems with a lack of gritting on this road. In fact, your Lib Dem team asked a number of times during the freezing weather why the ice was still on Park Avenue when it was visibly cleared from Park Road and Roe Lane. We were continually told that the road had been gritted and it was just the lack of traffic (!) or the weather which was causing the ice to remain.

Having a Sherlock Holmes moment - councillor Sue McGuire went through the Winter Service Policy with a fine tooth comb to see if she could find any other reason for this obvious lack of gritting, only to discover that yes indeed Park Avenue was included in the list of roads to be gritted however it was NOT included in the actual list of roads and map which is given to each of the drivers fo the gritting vehciles. Which meant that in reality Park Avenue DID NOT GET GRITTED. Following this piece of effective detective work by your LIb Dem Councillors Sefton Council have now confirmed that Park Avenue will in future be included as part of the gritting route.

One consequence of this lack of grit however has been the creation of some very large pot holes especially at the roundabout junction with Park Crescent and Albert Road. Your Lib Dem team are asking for action to be taken as a matter of urgency since Park Avenue is part of the designated HGV route in this area of Southport.

Request for better gritting at our schools

A local Lib Dem councillor has called for Sefton Council to review its current policy which is not to grit near schools in icy weather. Councillor Sue McGuire raised her concerns at the 3 Feb meeting of Southport Area Committee.

The Area Committee had before it a report on the “Winter Service” following concerns expressed about road conditions in early January. However the report makes clear (para 1.9) that Sefton’s policy is “not to accede to requests for additional gritting at locations which do not form part of the approved gritting routes.”

“The problem is that most schools are not on the approved gritting routes,” explained Cllr McGuire.“It is only if the school happens to be on a main road that the gritters will cover the approaches to the school however even then this does not include gritting on the pavements. For example, Marshside Primary School, one of the schools in my ward is on the gritting route however the lack of gritting on the pavement meant some children were kept off school because many parents felt that getting their children to school was too dangerous during the snow and ice.”

Sue added “I am glad that the Area Committee have backed my call for the Council to be asked to look again at the current approved gritting routes. I have suggested that the roads and pavements closely surrounding most or all schools could and should be added to the list.”

The report on “Winter Service” to the 3 February Southport Area Committee can be found here:http://modgov.sefton.gov.uk/moderngov/Published/C00000159/M00004756/AI00010519/$WinterServiceSptAC030210JMc.docA.ps.pdf