The following message from James Airey was overly optimistic:
Hi Geoff
I have been told that the grit boxes should be filled very soon, I know this
is no consolation but stocks are again low and it is a question of manpower
getting the stuff out every where. Ulverston though does seem to have come
off rather better than say Kendal. So hopefully our constant jumping up and
down is working.
Regards James.
I think it's up to us all to help ourselves and others around us. I guess the role for James is now to identify the needs and help organise us all to help each other.
A.R. has given excellent advice in her last comment just below of how to use an alternative to the unavailable salt that won't work on thick compacted ice or snow anyway .
As A.R. didn't reveal the source of his (she apparently is a he) Ballast used on his drive, I've been down to Travis Perkins and bought Grano which is slightly over £3 per bag and will be switching to this up our lane.
Do we know of any roads that need to be closed because of the potential for serious accident?
I'm sure the "jumping up and down" it is true. But this is the electorate doing things. What is our County Councillor able to achieve?
What does "very soon" mean? Still no grit and its Wednesday and the pavements are treacherous. I'm coming to the bottom of my carefully used single bag . . . . but at least we have a foot wide path up a difficult sloped lane that is clear.
Something I also strongly believe in is, thanking the workers for the work they do get done. I think that the standard of gritting of the town pavements has been excellent. I understand that once you get there the standard is good.
So hopefully we can send a thank you.
Do you agree?
9 comments:
< her comment > !!! last time I looked I was still masculine !
How is one to know?
Eventually people will all use their real names!
It's certainly beginning to happen!
I off to track down some "Ballast"as recommended (now you're sexless - how does that suit?).
The CC Highways fault report web page used to have a < track a fault > facility but that seems to have disappeared. The local rag is full of stories about SLDC combining with CCC and gritting minor roads/working round the clock etc. - I still haven't seen a gritter or council workmen on Croftlands . Despite agreeing with what you say about self-help we are being short-changed by the council. We pay for services that just do not happen. The latest excuse is they are short of salt.
If they had all the salt in the world they would find another excuse not to treat minor roads. I drive for a living and the only place I have seen gritters are the A590 and Ulverston town centre . Many people are trapped in their homes because they cannot negotiate frozen pavements. The ballast is very effective by the way. They sell it at any builders merchants .
I've seen gritters on Croftland but they only follow the bus routes around the estate.I think this year when my council tax is due to be paid i shall leave £50 out and when they contact me regarding this they will be informed that they never gritted my road so i'm not paying
Well done S.H.
This has been the kind of response that I've now heard from several people on different issues and I'm willing to go along with it.
They will of course take you/us to court where it then gets interesting.
1.It highlights the issue.
2.They have to pay for lawyers to prosecute.
3.If you have a good case (which I'm sure you haven't in this instance) they could stand to loose.
4. However if sufficient people are united over an issue, they could be forced to back down because sending 50 people to jail would cause a big rumpus.
This kind of action raises the issue that you can only enforce laws that are accepted by the majority.
This returns "power to the people".
I don't think it's something that will happen this year but allow the Tories to get in and we could see public opposition to some measures on a massive scale in say ten years time!
Will this lead to a new kind of democracy?
Grano is fine chippings to dust and might do ok .Ballast contains sand too ,so if the Grano doesn't work get a bag of coarse sand and mix it. As I have already said it can be bought at any buiders supply.
Thanks A.R. , Grano is working well on the ice.
Now awaiting the next snow and will be eager to sweep it away before any one/thing compacts it. then follow up with the Grano.
We've got our lane sorted to everyone's satisfaction as far as I know - ice everywhere except for a path to the side.(except for Mr Grumpy at the bottom who comes out with "where's my bin?" - and was placated by "Just three yards up there!"
Just got back from shopping at barrow and there was a calling card through the door from a john woodcock labour fella.Gutted i missed these as i would've asked where they've been for the last 2 years and also complain about the state of the roads and pavements.So i guess there covering all of ulverston so expect a visit
A comment from the Westmorland Gazette Forum by "KendalSmithy"(http://forum.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=7091#7091):
"It really would have been helpful to have heard from them (the local authorities) right from the start of the bad weather, if only to discover that if we want to have our streets and pavements cleared of snow and ice we will have to do it ourselves. Then, even if grumbling and complaining, we would have known where we stood, and might have mobilised ourselves into action a bit sooner. Fame (but not necessarily fortune) awaits brave local council officers who will be willing to be friendly spokespeople for our local authorities!"
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