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The gritting row dividing Oldham
Date published: 24 December 2009
Readers have their say
Plenty of votes in favour...
:: I live in High Crompton and can’t give the council gritters enough praise. I work in Hollinwood and never got stuck on the major roads from home and back. Yes, some side roads were quite bad, but on the whole I think congratulations to the workmen.
WOODY
:: I WISH to applaud the excellent work carried out by Oldham Council to keep the traffic flowing over the last few days of snowfall and freezing conditions. My commute to work normally keeps me within the borough but I have been taking my wife to work which included travelling through Middleton and Manchester.
The road conditions in Oldham, considering the weather, were excellent whereas the conditions in Middleton and Manchester were treacherous. It is easy to critisise the council when things go wrong, so I thought a quick note of congratulations was required to the team which keeps Oldham moving. Well done and keep up the good work.
STEVE KILROY
:: gritter drivers have been working 12-hour shifts since Thursday. Well done lads, keep up the good work!!!
SAMANTHA KAUFMANN
:: I WAS recently one of several motorists forced to use public transport because of snow and was pleasantly surprised by the pleasantness, efficiency and reliability of the staff involved in the 407 Oldham to Denshaw route. Despite the adverse weather conditions, the driver was extremely helpful to everybody and the whole experience was a delight.
PAT BOTTOMLEY,
Denshaw
:: I WAS working and had to drive all night and so would like to thank the gritters for their efforts in keeping the main roads clear. I saw lots of these working throughout the night. I don’t think people realise how much work is involved keeping these roads open and because “our cul-de-sac wasn’t gritted” then there must be none working!
OLDHAMWHITE
:: Why do people try and drive when they are obviously incompetent and scared of it? Shopping on a Sunday is not a life and death issue! Then they abandon their cars so the gritters can’t clear the roads. I drive for a living but stayed at home Sunday and Monday (and I don’t get paid if I do).
MORGANA60
:: I THINK Councillor Akhtar and others need to check their facts straight before criticising the service. Road salt will only melt snow and ice down to around -4 degrees. So at a record low of -8.7 all the salt in Cheshire won’t make a difference! The lads on the gritting teams have done a superb job.
BUNGLE
:: They do a damned good job with the resources they’ve got.
GREENFIELD PETE
:: I drove from Royton to Scotland on Sunday (via Fitton Hill) a gritter was out on the Thorpe Farm estate gritting all the roads. A bit of snow and some chilly weather and the Oldhamers start whinging! It’s -12 here tonight, not -2! Get a grip!
SPIKE
:: THE council can’t control the weather and the plain fact is that the persistent heavy snow we’ve had WILL cover the roads despite the hard work of the gritter crews. My thanks go to them for battling on tirelessly.
YARD DOG
:: IF all the idiots who don’t really need to go out did the sensible thing and stayed indoors for a few days, the situation with all the abandoned cars blocking the roads wouldn’t be an issue and maybe then the gritters could do their job properly.
LINDA
:: Let’s praise the gritting teams for a change. The main roads have all been kept reasonably clear in adverse conditions, and at least useable with careful driving. Would the moaners want to be out all hours of the night? Credit where it’s due.
DN
Lees
:: THE street outside our shop was gritted every day and everyone involved was polite and hard-working. Well done Oldham Council for making a very difficult time much easier.
TYMBUKTU
And the votes against...
:: Yet again, the only people unaware of imminent snow was the council. Gritters? Last seen in April. I think they are yellow but have probably been replaced by ‘green’ recycle trucks.
Uppermill has been a no-go zone since Saturday evening with main roads covered in snow and ice, untouched by machine and as I write on Monday night, council gritters are possibly due to be entered on the world wildlife list of animals close to extinction in 2010.
While the white elephant office block of the PCT remains without tenants and our rates being poured down yet another black hole, the people of Oldham are forced to suffer the same fate by not being able to get to work.
Use the train I hear you say, well that would be okay if certain stations were not shut, prices astronomical and not enough carriages.
Well, the coffers are empty (again), the grit bins empty (were they ever filled?) the stations are shut (will they ever reopen?) and the council has no leadership, no vision and poor management.
Worst-run council in Europe!!!
A BARLOW
:: IT is good to see Oldham Council getting their gritters out for the people of Saddleworth once more! What a disgrace. When you see Tameside Council’s gritters going up and down Manchester/Huddersfield Road, where the Royal George is, every 30-40 minutes or so, and not one from Oldham Council, it’s just a joke. Fair enough, they may have finally got up here, but it was far too late. The least they could do would be to fill the grit boxes up though so people can grit their own roads. It’s not good enough Oldham Council.
LEFT OUT IN THE COLD
:: WHY do the good people of Oldham continue to put up with a council that is at best useless. The state of the roads is shameful. At 7pm on Sunday, Ripponden Road was a skating rink.
The current shower blame their shortcomings on the previous shower. When will it end?
NEAL PEMBERTON
:: DESPITE ringing the highways snowline number Cherrytree Gardens estate off Warren Lane, Oldham, has still not received any help with respect to getting the steep hills gritted or salt dropped off. Being disabled, this is now the third day my car has been stuck on the estate. I find it a total disgrace.
DON ROBERTSON
:: I DON’T know how they can claim that gritting took place to be honest! My husband almost didn’t get home from work at 9pm on Saturday evening due to the ungritted roads (Manchester Road included). Yet on Sunday, my parents living in Bury were able to travel freely whereas we were more or less housebound. If other boroughs can do it then why can’t we?
KAZZA699
:: MY neighbour has just got home from work. He’s a bus driver on the 409 route — none of Royton has been gritted. He’s just been saying Oldham town centre closed down on Tuesday and the buses into Manchester were travelling on the bypass because it was that bad in the town centre. Where have the gritters been?
POPPY BLUE
:: Last Saurday we had been for a meal in Greenfield. On our way home we encountered the bad weather. Going down the hill towards Grotton was horrendous. As we got into the dip at Grotton (opposite the Grotton Hotel) there was a gritter parked up . . . minus driver. Was the driver in the Grotton Hotel I ask myself?
LYNNE ROBERTS
:: DOES the Oldham Council Highways Department look at the weather forecast?
On Saturday evening a journey from Balfour Street to New Earth Street took 25 minutes, due to the appalling road conditions. Lees Road was gridlocked as no doubt were most roads in the borough. Why were the roads not gritted? It beggers belief that this is allowed to happen.
IAN MILLER
:: FAR be it from me to doubt the words of the council, but of six people in conversation on Monday evening in the Royton/Chadderton area only one had sighted a gritter and none of us could remember hearing the sound of grit rattling under our cars.
And I simply cannot believe that Springfield Road at Thornham has had any serious attention, even though it is a bus route.
SIDEWAYS
Comments
Why is it all the complaints about untreated side roads always come from the Saddleworth residents. May I please point out that there are other people living in Oldham, but we don't spend the winter shouting at the lads and feeling let down. We just get on with it and either grit our own streets or walk. So a big thank you lads and keep up the good work. we appreciate it.
These gritter drivers have been subjected to extreme verbal abuse and pyhsical abuse this last week.
Why can't some people appreciate that they are doing their upmost best and their are only 24hours in any one day. Perhaps instead of hurling the abuse try waving and thanking them when they pass by. Also if people didn't double park most of the time I'm sure more side roads could be accessed by these very large gritting wagons.
Thank you boys keep it up.
gritter lover
To Ian Miller...Do you not think the reason, Lees Road was gridlocked might have something to do with the fact that idots are making journeys in cars in herendous conditions from Balfour Street to New Earth Street.....rather than blame the gritters!
I've been doing deliveries in and around Oldham all week and can't fault the guys who've been doing the gritting. Instead of moaning people should perhaps learn how to drive in these conditions.
Oldham folk need to learn the meaning of community resilience - sitting back and doing nothing is not an option, and having a go at the Council will change nothing -
To LYNNE ROBERTS........I can tell you EXACTLY where the gritter driver was while it was parked up in Grotton.....He called home to pick up his tea in a plastic container and fill his flask before continueing on his route until midnight (from midday). Your insinuation that he was in the Grotton Hotel is dispicable. Get facts before making accusations.
People,its not the lads who drive the gritters at fault its the elected members & the main Officers running the show at the Civic. The lads are doing as ordered,even driving up and down streets with lights blaring but not dropping grit on the roads, WHY? Maybe there was not enough grit in Oldham as it was sold onto to other local authorities-YES Arthur Daley & Del Boy are conducting business for OMBC. What a shambles this council is, cutting costs and corners at the expense of the Oldhamer.
to all the good people of oldham and saddleworth we all know how bad the roads have been this last week or so but it will make you all feel better to know that oldham council have been busy keeping denshaws clough manors carpark clear of snow plouging and gritting it several times.
Iam sure that the guys working the gritters deserve some prase and are unable to clear some roads due to too many cars parked. However, we would have no problem clearing our own area if we could only get the grit box filled. We have made four requests and to date, nothing.
On another note, I don't think it is fair to portray all Saddleworth people as moaners, they as we up here at the top of High Crompton do not seem to get a fair crack of the whip as far as gritting goes.
I'm not a huge fan of OMBC but must asy they have done well with their gritting. I live in Shaw & we have been looked after well. Fair enough my own road was not gritted, but unlike some of the lazy dopes in the Borough I don't expect to have a personal gritter! The main roads have been kept clear & I'm grateful. Thanks to all who have worked so hard over Christmas.
Just before people start thinking the Clough Manor are being favoured..............it's where the gritters have to turn round, otherwise they'd have to go all the way to Newhey. The same would apply to the Carriage House just through the cutting at Standedge, it's the first safe place to turn round.
Gritting boundry for A640 (denshaw to newhey) is just before where the moorcock`s car park used to be, not at the bottom of the hill where clough manor is. It also means that customers would struggle to get to the alpine, the car park there is much better for turning round on. Or it would be much better to go on to Newhey then back to Shaw. basel
Have Your Say
I say well done to Oldham gritters and associated staff. They performed excellent work in rotten conditions. The only people I'm sick of hearing are those whingers who complain if everything is not just laid on a plate for them. Bad weather happens it's winter, adjust and live with it. Wait till summer comes - the same moaners will complaining it's too hot!
By Road Rocket @ 24/12/2009 13:27:26