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08
Jan
Council leader defends response to icy conditions in Harrogate area
The leader of North Yorkshire Council has defended criticism of its response to gritting roads and pavements in the Harrogate district.
The district was hit by heavy snowfall four days ago and temperatures are expected to plummet even further in the coming days.
Some schools have remained closed due to the conditions and business owners have complained of a lack of support.
As a result, North Yorkshire Council has faced mounting criticism over its handling of such conditions.
Matthew Chapman, chief executive of Harrogate Business Improvement District, was among the first to voice concerns.
Mr Chapman told the Stray Ferret that the lack of treatment to pavements outside local businesses has left traders frustrated.
He said:
Whilst we at Harrogate BID totally understand that the challenges faced North Yorkshire-wide have been quite severe over the past 48 hours we have been extremely disappointed with the lack of what feels like statutory services delivered in Harrogate town centre.
The pavements and pedestrian areas have remained full of snow and ice, and mostly untreated. Many of our members have opened to serve our community but have contacted us about the lack of support from statutory services and are concerned for the customers who have ventured out to support the high street.
Our team of two street rangers have done what they can – clearing snow and ice, gritting pathways, de-icing locks, supporting businesses to open – but we really need more support.
Gritters in Harrogate town centre.
The concern has also extended to the district's schools.
Richard Sheriff, chief executive of Red Kite Learning Trust, which runs Rossett and Harrogate Grammar School and multiple other schools in Harrogate, pleaded for more support from the council to help some schools reopen.
He said:
We would really appreciate the support of the local council. We don’t have the facilities to do anything on a wide scale without the help of the council.
The cul-de-sac near Oatlands Junior School hasn’t been gritted or cleared by the council. We ask that the council don’t just focus on the main roads, but the areas that will allow the schools to reopen.
Plummeting temperatures
Meanwhile, the forecast does not appear to be letting up anytime soon.
The Met Office says temperatures in Harrogate are set to drop to -7 degrees overnight on Thursday. The thaw does not look like it will get started until Sunday.
As a result, pavements which are untreated could remain icy and treacherous.
Some areas of Harrogate town centre have been treated, such as around the war memorial. But, for some, there is not enough consideration given to other icy areas.
Diana Spurr, 80, and Mike Streeton, 75, live on Valley Drive in Harrogate.
They told the Stray Ferret the pavements and side roads are extremely dangerous and pose a threat to people’s safety.
Ms Spurr said:
I’ve never seen anything like it in the 50 years I’ve lived here. It’s like glass, you can hear it cracking underneath your feet.
Mr Streeton told the Stray Ferret the couple were walking in Harrogate town centre on Tuesday (January 7). Mr Streeton slipped on the ice and took Ms Spurr down with him.
Both called for a more “proactive” approach from the council.
Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said he had been in touch with the council today "to push for immediate solutions, including reallocating resources to the areas most in need."
He added: "Clearing side roads and key footpaths must now be the priority so people can safely access essential services and go about their lives again."
Council's response
However, Cllr Carl Les, the Conservative leader of North Yorkshire Council, has defended its response to the icy conditions.
He said the council has treated footpaths since Saturday and that the authority was working with a farming contractor to clear and treat them.
Cllr Les said:
We have treated footpaths in Harrogate since Saturday, but the snow and continued cold temperatures have made conditions very challenging.
We are working alongside a farming contractor to clear and treat the footpaths in Harrogate today and tomorrow.
To ensure salt works effectively, it needs traffic driving over it to grind the salt and activate it. Understandably, this is much easier on roads than it is footpaths.
Cllr Les added that the county's road network spanned 5,800 miles, which means priority is given to keeping main routes open.
However, he said the council would be working through other priority routes in the coming days.
He said:
The size of North Yorkshire’s roads network, which covers 5,800 miles, means priority is given to keeping the main routes open. Priority 1 routes connect or go through the county’s towns and are cleared before moving on to priority 2 routes, which give access to smaller communities.
Our gritting teams and farming contractors are dealing with issues on priority 2 routes, which are suffering from drifting snow and freezing temperatures, with no opportunity to thaw. This is impacting communities on higher ground.
We are starting to work through priority 3 routes, such as side roads and estates, today and tomorrow.
We would like to reassure residents that we are doing all that we can to keep the county moving.
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