Action Must Be Taken To Grit Rural Roads

Nigel Evans, Member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley, today raised the issue of rural communities who have been cut off because of heavy snowfall and a lack of gritting.

Speaking at questions to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Mr Evans said:

“These are exceptional weather conditions but surely the Met Office, for which we pay millions each year, will have given several days notice that such exceptional weather was coming.

“Surely such notice should have meant that information should have been given to local authorities so that they could prepare to stockpile exceptional levels of salt and grit.”

Mr Evans also criticised those local authorities who made the excuse that they did not have anywhere to store such stockpiles.

“Many of my local areas, such as Twiston and Cow Ark, have been cut off completely and left isolated purely because no gritting has been made available.

“Why have there not been discussions with local farmers, for example, to see what spare storage capacity they may have?

“Many, I am sure, would have been delighted to store materials if they had space on their farms.”