Deep trouble
Reporter: by MARINA BERRY and KEN BENNETT
Date published: 05 January 2010
Oldham today faced lock-down with up to 6in of snow and sub-zero temperatures bringing the worst weather chaos across the borough for 30 years.
The vast majority of Oldham’s 116 schools were closed and 10 town centre public car parks shut as commuters battled through horrendous conditions to get to work.
Many more workers took the decision to leave their cars and walk, others were stranded at home and a power cut plunged top Mossley into darkness. At 8am today, First Manchester buses suspended all its services in Oldham along with Ashton, Bolton, Manchester and Wigan. It followed severe delays, timetable alterations and service suspensions yesterday.
Some 4in of snow fell across the borough from 7pm yesterday, leaving council services fighting a losing battle to keep the roads clear.
Abandoned vehicles made already difficult-to-negotiate roads virtually impassable as traffic backed up for miles on many roads leading in and out of Oldham.
Council officials said they had enough grit in stock for the next two or three days and had another 1,200 tonnes on order. That’s expected to arrive later this week.
The Chronicle’s weatherman Damian Rodgers said 4in of snow had fallen overnight, but said it was the three weeks of consistently icy temperatures which had made the situation worse.
He said Oldham had 8in of snow last February — the worst since 1991 — but this was the longest cold snap the borough had experienced for 23 years.
He predicted at least another week of sub-zero temperatures, and said there should be little more than light snow flurries over the next couple of days, but warned of more heavy snow at the weekend.
Manchester Airport cancelled all early flights because of heavy snow. It was expected to re-open around noon. Passengers were told to check the position with their airline.
Councillor Mark Alcock, Oldham Council’s Cabinet member for the environment and infrastructure, said defiantly: “We are facing the worst conditions — but we can tough it out.”
He denied the borough had reached crisis point and was runnning out of grit. He said: “We have two or three days’ supply already in the yards and from today we have been assured that we will have a delivery of 1,200 tonnes over the next three or four days.
“Providing those supplies can be maintained, I am confident we can get through this. As long as we get the grit we can keep operating.”
More than 100 council workers are now involved in the operation and on the ground teams moved from other parks and gardens jobs to focus on clearing the town centre and villages.
The council is also bringing in a snow blower to clear roads clogged by dense falls of snow since the weekend.
In a desperate move to conserve supplies and keep key roads open, roadside grit boxes will not be filled. And 10 town centre car parks — which are not normally gritted — have been closed.
Councillor Alcock said: “Our snow ploughs have been out but the snow has been so heavy overnight that the roads they have cleared are covered over again within 20 yards of them moving on.
“We are using about 200 tonnes of grit a day. We are determined to keep the roads open but we have to ensure we have a regular supply of grit coming in .
“We are also using a new type of salt in some parts of the borough and will use it on school playgrounds.
“If the supplies arrive we will keep delivering our promise to keep routes open.”
Meanwhile, isolated Saddleworth farming communities facing huge banks of snow are forming teams to fetch supplies to their marooned homes.
Michael Fancy (48), landlord of The Royal Oak at Heights near Delph, has used a four-wheel drive tractor to carry provisions for families snowed in the hillside hamlet.
He said: “We have formed a collective with our neighbours to go out and do a group shopping expedition for us all.
“I have managed to get there by 4x4 then, on the return, we transfer the shopping to a shovel on front of my tractor to deliver food to people’s homes.”
Updates on bus services can be found at www.gmpte.com. Rail passengers are advised to check www.nationalrail.co.uk for service updates before travelling.
