Icy roads for residents special treatment for Councilors and Senior Management
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I read the comments from Councillor Bithell about road clearance of the very treacherous roads through the night and this morning. Anyone out before about 10.00am this morning will say how bad the roads and pavements where.
The following is an open question to Cllr Bithell, Cllr Pritchard and Ian Bancroft- ” Could an explanation be given to the public about why the Council Guildhall car park was being gritted by a full-size gritting lorry at 8.30am this morning? As this is not a “priority route” who authorised the deviation of route?” As this is an ‘exclusive’ car park during the day for Cllrs and Senior Managers why did this work get undertaken before all the public roads had been made safe?
Any comment Wrexham.com can gain would be appreciated…
Derek, Councillors and Top Managers have always been a priority for the gritters, this is not new news. By having an exclusive car park they are protecting their own interests and keeping important people safe.
With the workforce monitoring information showing the high number sickness days taken, the last thing the Council wants is to lose the services of Councillors and Top Managers without whom the Council would struggle to deliver its services.
If Councillors and Top Managers have fought the elements to get in then at least they should be able to park up safely. The only people that should take priority over this are the old and infirm (I am aware that this may include Councillors)
Also, the full-size gritting lorry isn’t being deviated from a “priority route” because it on a priority route.
https://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/travel/winter/routes_map.htm
Councillor X. Who looks after us on a Saturday and Sunday when Council Top Managers and Councillors don’t work ? Do the gritters prioritise roads where Top Managers and Councillors reside?
I asked Wrexham Council on this earlier today to fact check if infact a normal gritting lorry was in the councillor carpark around that time.
The question appeared to be passed to the relevant council officer and Lead Member.
Wrexham Council did not dispute the info, but replied with a single line that stated “Winter Service Policy attached and 3.2.2 makes the appropriate reference.”
The council’s winter service page ( https://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/council/documents/winter_service.htm) still links to an old policy document rather than the October 2018 version I was sent – https://www.wrexham.gov.uk/assets/pdfs/key_docs/winter_service_policy.pdf however the below
3.2.2 in the policy document I was sent reads:
[i]3.2.2 Priority 1 routes are roads carrying substantial volumes of traffic having
characteristics, which require protection from frost throughout the night.
These routes form the spinal road network of the Authority and merit high
priority to sustain the free flowing movement of traffic. They include:- Trunk Roads (50 kms)
Class A Roads (110 kms)
Class B Roads. (143kms)
Strategic Bus Routes Network
Main access roads to schools or establishments of higher education
(where logistically practical)
Town centre access and distributor roads
Industrial Estate Roads
Main Council maintained Car Parks
The 10 Priority 1 precautionary gritting routes total 40% or 500kms of the
total highways network.[/i]I assume the ‘Main Council maintained Car Parks’ is the bit that is being pointed to as explaining this was entirely normal and inside policy that councillors have recently approved.
Thanks to the reader in touch pointing out this is also a council car park, and did not appear to be gritted. I am told signs were put up saying this level was closed after this video was posted.
Just been sent this video of the new open air ice rink on top of Tŷ Pawb – person added ‘no signs, no grit’ pic.twitter.com/P6jJw8NLi9
— Wrexham.com (@wrexham) January 23, 2019
The Government should get the unemployed out of their beds and make them clear the snow and ice!
It is probably against their Human Rights though so better carry on giving them money for nothing.
Bring back the Gulag!
In all fairness in modern Britain, this would end up costing the taxpayer more than said handout of benefits – through a series of keenly won court cases by serial dossers. Before any cold weather work was even allowed to begin to be undertaken – they would be given:
i) a Cold weather clothes allowance, which would be generous enough to have them wearing better cold weather clothes than the rest of us – Barbour Jackets, Timberlands, hat, gloves, scarf, thermals, thermal heat pads.
ii) Transportation allowance – again above actual cost of transport, both public transport or petrol money
iii) Hot meal and a hot drink allowance – both before and after the labourious activities
iv) Money spent on training – how to hold a shovel properly 101
v) Plus can you imagine the compo claims if someone got sick or injured on the job
What a wonderful world.
The Council ‘spokesperson’ needs to check the electonic GPS vehicle recorder that is fitted in the gritter- why did it do the Guildhall Car Park and not the main Libary Car Park when they are next to each other? the public have the right to have the same service and not let officers and members have prefrence on their car park.
Could the Council explian did the 8.30am gritter run out of grit and go back to a depot and then return to the libary sometime later in the morning?
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