Although rain and snow falls are forecast to die out today, freezing temperatures may return tomorrow morning.
It is possible that the slush will then turn to ice.
So it may be a good time to check that your local salt bin is full?
For bin locations and details of gritting routes click here.
Then tick “street care” and the tags for salt bins, primary and secondary gritting routes.
The arrival of icy weather will put additional pressures on some public services.
The recent snowfall, and subsequent icy road and footpath surfaces, means the the gritters have been out working full time.
There was even a promise from the Council this year that cycle path would be salted but so far this seems to have been sporadic. The Tadcaster Road cycle path, for example, was icy earlier this week.
Some Councillors have reported that they have been out checking local salt bins. They have found some empty, some “solid” & some contaminated with rubbish
We’re not sure that this audit has been completed everywhere though.
With Council resources stretched by the pandemic, this is an activity where residents can help by checking their local salt bin and by removing any litter.
Please let your local Councillor know if a bin needs filling.
Ice and frost will also have a major impact on poorly maintained road and footpath surfaces.
We’ve recently reported potholes on Askham Lane (near the A1237 roundabout) and on Foxwood Lane (near the Thanet Road Sports Area).
There are likely to be many more examples around the City. The sooner the potholes are filled in the less damage will occur (and the safer our roads will be).
We urge residents to use the 24/7 “report it” system (click) to highlight any concerns to the Council
The Council has not said why it is set to discuss the issue halfway through winter or why the plan had not been included on its “forward plan” of decisions.
According to the Press, it says it will pay for any changes using “contingency” funds (which have been available since last April).
The decision to salt the 24 bus route will be welcomed. It was a major bone of contention in 2013.
The Council have been lucky that in the intervening period the City has enjoyed relatively mild winters.
We can’t expect that to continue.
The list for Westfield can be viewed by clicking here.
The form used to allocate “marks” can be seen here (same for the whole of the City)
What is immediately obvious from the “scores” is that some potentially very hazardous routes (including St Stephens Mews and the Grove Terrace snicket) fared badly because they were judged to be on the normal precautionary gritting routes.
In reality the gritting Lorries never get near enough to these areas to have any effect on the ice.
Meanwhile our story last month about the poor take up of snow warden posts seems to have shamed some residents into action.
Some Tory Councillors are reported as having volunteered.
This news came soon after a question was tabled at last weeks Council meeting asking whether the responsible Cabinet member (Cllr Levene) would be out and about clearing snow?
Maps showing the general location of snow wardens can be found by clicking here.
Advice on clearing the footpath in front of your own home can be found here
The Council have been out and about replacing some of the grit bins (Linnet Way, Cornlands Road) which they threaten to remove, so the right hand doesn’t seem to know what the left hand is doing.
The Council’s map of salt bin locations can be found here.
All of which may be academic as the long term weather forecast shows mild weather continuing into January!!
Leaking salt bin
Liberal Democrats have called on Labour to rethink plans that would see two-thirds of salt bins in York lost and gritting routes across the city cut.
The decision to cut the winter maintenance service was taken by Labour’s Cabinet Member for Environmental Services on Wednesday despite the opposition of local residents and concerns over the online only public consultation.
Lib Dem Councillors Ann Reid, Nigel Ayre and Keith Aspden have ‘called-in’ the decision for further review and the proposals are now set to be reconsidered at a special meeting of York’s Corporate and Scrutiny Management Committee later this month.
