Warwickshire County Council have defended a huge investment into gritting – even though other parts of their budget are being slashed.
On Tuesday, the council passed a £33 million package of cuts over the next financial year, which will see major hits to youth service and library finances.
Despite that, £400,000 will be spent on grit and the process of gritting Warwickshire’s roads – even though the authority has 14,000 tonnes already in stock.
Council leader Alan Farnell said: “People will say we’ll have to put money into a particular service, but they have to tell me where it’s coming from.”
“In actual fact, I’d like to put more money into gritting, but you’ve got to be able to have the cash to do that.”
“We feel highway safety is sufficiently important to justify the spend.”
This winter, officials in Warwickshire recruited volunteers – or ‘snow wardens’ – to tell them if salt levels on roads in their area were too low.
Bryn Patefield, who’s in charge of Warwickshire’s highways, said: “We will still grit the main routes, that’s obviously our responsibility – but this is a practical way of getting resources to areas that are slightly more isolated.”
Angela Warner, who’s a councillor in Warwick, campaigned for the ‘snow wardens’, and added:
“Residents in Warwick Gates have struggled to beat the elements in the previous two winters. Now we will benefit from regular visits from the gritters to help keep the roads passable.”
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 3:44 pm