Shropshire Council told to explain its weather plan after snow disruption complaints
A Shropshire councillor is demanding answers following the heavy snowfall which affected the county.
Julian Dean, who sits for the Green Party on Shropshire Council, claims the authority did not do enough to help residents and businesses affected by the snow.
He has posed a number of questions regarding the service the council laid on to deal with transport and pedestrian access in and around Shrewsbury.
Councillor Dean, who represents the Porthill ward, said that many people required hospital treatment after slipping on untreated roads and pavements and claimed that the council did not take proper precautions with regard to a market held in Shrewsbury’s Square.
He said: “From listening to the concerns of my constituents, and from reading the local media, it is clear that there are serious questions the council must answer.
“What plans were in place to treat pavements, and thereby provide a necessary service to pedestrians, that was provided to other road users?
Performance
“Is the council satisfied with its performance and execution of its Winter Service Plan with respect to the treatment of, and subsequent condition of, primary roads?
“What, if any, failings in the plan were experienced? What advice from the Met Office was taken when developing the plan?
“What can I tell my constituents, some of whom were injured by slipping on untreated surfaces, about how we dealt with this event and what lessons have been drawn for the future?"
A spokesman for Shropshire Council said: “From December 8 to 15 gritting and snow ploughing took place 24 hours a day.
"Shropshire Council’s 25 gritting lorries spread around 4,700 tonnes of salt on more than 950 miles of roads, including the county’s A and B roads, important access routes, and high-risk routes such as those close to schools and hospitals, plus major town centre shopping areas, and heavily-used pavements and cycle paths.
"At the same time, more than 100 farmers and contractors across the county deployed tractor-mounted snowploughs, 27 of which also have tractor-mounted gritters, and 12 snowblowers, to clear snow from the county’s roads.”
