Gritting RSS feed for the Gritting tag
found 19 stories.
News
Express & Star 10 Jan 11
Walsall grit stocks at 50%
Councils in the West Midlands and Staffordshire – running low on grit following some of the most severe winter weather in a century – are being denied emergency supplies, it emerged today.
Wolverhampton City Council has just 600 tons of its winter stockpile of 3,500 tons left. The authority asked for a further 500 tons but will only receive between 250 and 280 tons…
News
Express & Star 22 Dec 10
More than half of the winter grit supplies in the Black Country, Staffordshire and Worcestershire have already been used as councils battle to keep roads open, it emerged today.
Wolverhampton City Council has just 1,600 tons of grit left of a 3,400-ton stock in October whilst Walsall Council has used around half of its 4,000-ton stock. Cabinet member for transport Councillor Tom Ansell said: “We have no plans to bring in any more just yet but are continuing to monitor the situation”…
Comment
The Dan Slee Blog 13 Dec 10
Localgov winter social media case study
Every mile is two in winter, the Elizabethan poet George Herbert wisely said. True words then and true today and he never had to drive a Vauxhall Astra on the M6 in minus five degree weather.
In local government its worth going the extra mile in wintry weather. Get things right in sub zero weather and you’re laughing. Get it wrong and you’re not. Just ask the Scottish transport minister who resigned after scathing criticism.
For the past two weeks Walsall Council – the council I work for – has been using social media as a key way to keep people updated on wintry weather…
Comment
Cllr Ian Shires 10 Dec 10
During the recent severe weather conditions Walsall’s Tory Cabinet has stuck rigidly to their “Winter Maintenance” policy which has restricted gritting to a certain number of “major routes”.
This inflexibility has led to schools closing, not because of problems on their site, but because the approach routes have been a danger to life and limb. To deprive children of their education on these grounds is a travesty…
Comment
Cllr Ian Shires 2 Dec 10
As the severe weather conditions continue Liberal Democrat Councillors on Walsall Council are calling on the Tory Cabinet to have a rethink on priorities in respect of winter gritting.
Two schools in the Short heath area of Willenhall were forced to close on Wednesday, not because of a problem on their school sites but because the approaches through Furzebank Way became dangerous for pupils…
News blog
CommonPeople 1 Dec 10
We’ve had reports of many people being stuck in terrible traffic last night in Walsall, thanks to the bad weather. A few people said roads were like skating rinks.
Here is a statement (unedited) from Walsall Council. Do feel free to comment on this…
News
BBC News 25 Nov 10
As the temperature falls, councils in the Black Country are gearing up to deal with icy roads and possible disruption to other services.
Gritting crews are on standby and have already been called out in some parts of the West Midlands.
Walsall Council says it has got a contingency plan in place to keep residents fully informed of any disruptions…
News
Express & Star 22 Nov 10
Temperatures will plunge below freezing in the West Midlands this week – as weather experts predicted six inches of snow to fall in parts of the country.
The region was today warned to brace itself for the cold snap, with even worse to come next week…
News
CommonPeople 20 Oct 10
With winter fast approaching, Walsall Council has made its final checks to the gritter route. Eight out of the 16 gritting routes were checked and timed by Tarmac, which operates the gritting contract for the authority, before wintry conditions arrive.
Councillor Tom Ansell, Walsall Council cabinet member for transport, said the council had stockpiled 4,000 tonnes of salt this year…
News
Express & Star 30 Sep 10
Thousands of tons of extra grit are being delivered to councils in the Black Country and Staffordshire, as preparations for winter get under way.
Walsall Council had to lend Birmingham City Council 400 tons of grit last year to help it cope after supplies ran low…