Southport Lib Dems Call for Reconsideration of Winter Gritting Protocol

At last month’s Council meeting, Southport Lib Dems asked the Sefton Council Cabinet member for Highways about the policy for gritting roads in Southport with schools.

The Council’s position is that a road that has a school on isn’t automatically classified as a main road and won’t be included on the list of roads to be gritted despite the fact that they have a large amount of traffic and pedestrians.

This decision has been in place since 2010 when the Council decided that “funding did not allow for gritting around schools to be included in the winter policy.”

Lib Dem Meols Ward Cllr, Gareth Lloyd-Johnsoncommented: “I asked whether it was the policy of the Council hat pavements and roads immediately outside schools are prioritised for gritting in icy conditions. I asked this for clarity after I had asked for Sunny Road, which has Churchtown Primary school on, to be gritted when we had cold weather before Christmas. A number of residents had complained about the hazardous icy conditions on the road but we were told by the Officers that the road was not on the list to be gritted.”

Lib Dem Birkdale Ward Cllr, Pugh added :  “Gritting in icy conditions is a basic service that people expect to receive in return for their Council tax. It’s seems illogical that school roads and pavements by schools  aren’t classed as main roads for gritting purposes when they see so many cars and people down them twice a day.”

Lib Dem Cambridge Ward Cllr, Leo Evans,added: “The Council’s winter policy needs to be revisited and roads with schools should automatically be included in the list of roads to grit.”