Government Fails on Grit

Christopher Pincher says Staffordshire roads are more dangerous thanks to government complacency

Tamworth’s Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman, Christopher Pincher, this week criticised government complacency after icy conditions gripped local roads and saw many become ice rinks.

The prolonged cold spell has seen local grit reserves run low with the result that only A & B roads will be targeted for gritting. Most side roads will be left unsalted.

Mr. Pincher said:
“The County Council, which is responsible for treating local roads, has done all it can to deal with the frozen conditions by carefully managing its reserves so we have more grit than the national average. Yet the Government has some tough questions to answer as to why, after the experience of last February, we once again face insufficient salt reserves and country-wide disruption of the vital road network.”

Conservatives believe that had ministers acted on a report they received in July 2009, preparations would have been a great deal better. However, sadly the Government sat on its hands for five months, only acting on the recommendations on December 15th – just 48 hours before the snow began to fall. A robust contingency plan should have been put in place long before the weather deteriorated, particularly in respect of the amount of salt councils are recommended to hold in reserve.

Mr. Pincher continued:
“I was driving or rather sliding down Hedging Lane the other night and I might as well have been in the Snowdome. Conditions were treacherous. They make it difficult for people to get to work or children to get to school. And that puts even more pressure on our already battered economy. The government should have thought ahead and made better preparations.”