Calderdale Council scraps plan to cut winter gritting routes after backlash

A gritter
The council planned to axe hundreds of gritting routes to save money. Credit: PA

Plans by Calderdale Council to cut hundreds of roads from routine winter gritting rounds have been scrapped following a public backlash.

The council had proposed drastically reducing the number of streets it gritted as a precaution during cold weather to save money.

But it said it had "listened carefully to the large number of concerns expressed ahead of the changes and has taken action".

Council leader Jane Scullion said: “We pride ourselves on keeping people safe, whilst also balancing our budget in tough times as we must do legally.

"We will think again, consider what other ways we can achieve these savings, and put these options to all councillors to consider when we launch our proposed budget in the new year."

The Labour-run council announced last month that it would reduce the number of precautionary gritting routes it covered to save £300,000 from its £1.7million winter services budget.

Signs were installed informing residents of the cuts. Credit: ITV News

It said it would prioritise busy roads, routes needed by emergency services and roads that provided access to community facilities such as hospitals, schools and town centres.

Under the plans, hundreds of other streets would not be routinely gritted. Signs were installed in affected areas.

But residents told ITV News the move was dangerous and could have "terrible" consequences.

The council’s cabinet member for transport, Cllr Sarah Courtney, said work to find other "efficiencies" would continue "to maximise our scarce resources".

“We recognise these actions will not address the financial pressures caused by delivering our current winter service in Calderdale, with its steep-sided hills and valleys," she said.

"This means we will need to consider further alternative savings, at an unprecedented and difficult time for local councils, as we set the council budget next year.”

The council will write to all households affected over the next week.

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