Southwark Council has a Winter Service Plan. It appears to be unravelling.
Apart from the obvious main roads being gritted as per Southwarks gritting plan. And even this appears to be failing around the Forest Hill Road area according to local residents. Making it impossible for the no.63 bus to go further south than Peckham for fear of not being able to turn around.
What really bothers me is that the Winter Service Plan was enhanced when last year the Lib Dem executive councillor ensured 80 x Turbocaster 300 hand propelled grit spreaders were purchased but no one has seen any used this year.
Where are they hiding?
80 such gritting machines is enough to grit every pavement in Southwark in less than a day. We know from the weather forecasts that the snow and ice will stay for potentially another week. So gritting every pavement is critical to minimise the impacts of this bad weather on residents and to help keep everything running.
Have you seen one of these gritters – please let me know.
The question is why is it failing. This is the third year in a row we’ve had ice rinks for roads and pavements, without a teaspoonful of grit in sight. The bins on various corners are now empty as people have been gritting for themselves, or in my case trying to, but not finding more than a third of a bucketful.
Somewhere in the planning/ procurement/ supply and implementation schemes something has gone wrong. It is the fault of an individual or a group of people, not circumstances or forces beyond their control. They need to fix it or get another job. And if I may say so, Mr Barber, you need to be finding out the names of those responsible and giving them hell, as we will surely do for you if there isn’t rapid action.
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