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16
Aug 2021
Council to reject 42 requests for extra gritting despite warnings
More than 40 requests for extra gritting on North Yorkshire’s huge roads network are set to be rejected despite warnings over “dangerous” conditions and salt bins running empty.
North Yorkshire County Council, which spends about £7m every winter to treat more than half of the county’s 5,753 miles of roads, considers requests for routes to be added or given greater priority on an annual basis.
This year it has received 42 requests from residents, councillors and businesses, but none have been recommended for approval at a meeting on Friday.
These include 14 requests in the Harrogate district, 15 in Richmondshire, seven in Craven and six in Hambleton.
Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, said the authority already treated a large proportion of roads and that routes are rarely added due to the time and costs involved.
However, he added safety and efficiency were always priorities when deciding how to use resources.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:
Motorways and trunk roads are the responsibility of Highways England, while the county council looks after all other routes.
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The county council is also responsible for treating pedestrian footpaths and aims to cover all busy shopping areas and main footpaths before 9am in severe weather.
Between October 1 and April 30, road gritters are on call 24 hours a day, while farmer contractors, duty managers and overnight patrols are all on standby when necessary.
Roads are treated with rock salt on a priority basis and where icy and snowy conditions are at their worst.
But some residents believe more roads should be added or given greater priority, with one resident describing Regent Road in Skipton as “dangerous” during bad weather conditions.
They said in a request:
Another resident said salt bins in Harrogate are often running empty, while another claimed cars were abandoned on Kent Road in the town last year due to a lack of gritting.
Councillor Mackenzie added:
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