Advertisement
Ploughing on with snow-blower plans
Reporter: Lewis Jones
Date online: 25 January 2012
Saddleworth Parish Council
VOLUNTEERS could man a snow blower to clear Saddleworth roads clear should snow begin to fall.
As a chance of snow was predicted for the borough this week, Councillor Rob Knotts told parish councillors that a meeting with Oldham Council had been productive in tackling Saddleworth’s winter woes.
He confirmed that a snow blower, a hand-driven machine similar in size to a lawn mower, would be available to local residents who wanted to help clear smaller roads in bad weather. He also revealed that a small depot storing 2,000 tons of grit has been set up near Grains Bar to serve the Saddleworth villages this winter.
It follows a lengthy project led by the parish council to stop Saddleworth grinding to a halt after snowfall.
It was also suggested that 4x4 drivers could be given snow blades to attach to the front of their vehicles to help plough smaller roads and side streets in the event of a cold snap, as one individual has already done in Grasscroft. However, this would have to be planned for next winter.
Bands await police response
OLDHAM’S Police Chief Superintendent Tim Forber politely declined an invitation to address the parish council at last night’s meeting.
Councillors had requested his presence to discuss the forthcoming policing plans for the Whit Friday band contests in June. However, in a letter, Mr Forber said he has yet to meet band contest organisers and would be happy to address the council when plans are in place.
Comments
To all those people who think people in saddleworth are overpriveliged moaners take a look at this,not only do we pay more council tax to live hear but now we get our own grit pile (that'l go down well with flake) now we get the opportunity to strap a snow plough to front of our 4x4 and clear the roads our selves, i take it there will be a massive road tax refund for the privelidge of doing this as some of these vehicles cost over 400 quid to tax but thats another issue, i cant wait for the snow
Dunno why you think I'd have an opinion on 2000 tons of grit on top of a hill orangepeel, the only thing which bothers me is if the council are competent enough to apply it at the right time, (unlike the last time it snowed).
As for people in Saddleworth paying more council tax, could you please clarify this? Band C is band C wherever you are in Oldham, plus of course the parish council levy.
30 years ago Saddleworth had a snow blower mounted on a Unimog. It used to progressively clear from highest to lowest priority roads. Sufficient Council workers were able to driving HGV's and were on call to clear roads. It was all most profficient and not only kept roads within Saddleworth clear but also trans pennine roads like Nont Sarahs, Isle of Skye and Standedge. We lived between Delph and Denshaw on a back lane that filled with snow. The blower always dug us out. Whats happened?
It is a fact that we get the worst of the weather here simply because we are higher up than the rest of Oldham.
Have Your Say
And I wonder what my insurance company would say if I told them I was bolting a snow plough to my car and using it to clear public roads? I also wonder if anyone has considered why the use of snow blowers has not taken off in the UK?
Imagine a machine which takes snow off the roads and then blasts it several yards to the side, how many windows would be broken & front rooms filled with snow? How many hedges or fences would be completely demolished ? How many cars parked on the road dented?
By Flake @ 25/01/2012 16:34:10