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| Submit Comments | Comments (42) | « Previous Story | Next Story »

Rob Knotts, was given a £300 gritter by Oldham council. The machine proved useless at spreading grit.

Outcry over 'useless' gritters

Exclusive: Laura Fraser

January 26, 2010

TOWN HALL bosses have been slammed for blowing thousands on 'useless' DIY gritters.

Council chiefs at Oldham brought in 30 'mini gritters' at £200 each before the cold snap began.

They were distributed to volunteers in rural area in a bid to keep streets and pavements inaccessible to grit wagons.

But when the snow came, the contraptions – the brainchild of Saddleworth councillor Alan Roughley - were found wanting.

Many of the volunteers found that the grit would not fit through the holes in the devices and that the wheels locked on the snow.

One of those left fuming was retired squadron leader Rob Knotts.

The hardy pensioner was charged with looking after streets close to his home in Austerlands.

He sprang into action when the Arctic front swept in – but was soon back in his front room.

Mr Knotts explained: “The gritter was as useful as a chocolate fireguard.

Clogged up

“The machine clogged up and would not disperse the grit – the exit is too narrow.

“It has small wheels which just clogged in the snow.

“I rang the council for help to clear the area but ended up using a shovel and doing it myself.

“The gritter was basically a glorified seed dispenser and was totally unsuited to the snow conditions that we experience.”

Parish councillor Ken Hulme slated the council over the issue, branding the gritters 'Heath Robinson contraptions' after the cartoonist who dreamed up needlessly complex machines.

He said: “'The money would have been better spent of replacing some of the 300 grit bins the Lib Dems removed as a cost cutting measure when they were last in power in 2002.”

Coun Roughley said the gritters were 'the best option available' and hit back at claims they would have been more effective in back gardens.

He said: “The company we bought them from have a range of products, all named after mountain peaks 'Everest' and 'Mont Blanc' to name but two, which hardly suggests they are primarily designed for spreading fertiliser.

“They are not designed to cope with eight inches of snow or the recent extreme low temperatures, when no road grit is effective.”

| Submit Comments | Comments (42) | « Previous Story | Next Story »

Most recent user comments 25 of 42

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Oops sorry. It should be motorways and A class TRUNK roads are Highways Agency responsibility

Jeremy Sutcliffe
6/02/2010 at 14:25

Clarification: Motorways and "A" Class roads are Highways Agency responsibility (i.e. Government) A Class Roads are local Highways Authority responsibility (i.e Metropolitan or County Council) but they get grant from the government for maintenance which relates to the mileage within their boundaries.

The issue behind this story is whether the spending of delegated council money by a local committee on the word of a hick of of local councillor was appropriately scrutinised.

Jeremy Sutcliffe
6/02/2010 at 08:44

A quick lesson in snow and ice fron the frozen white colonies. Grit is spread on bare roads in anticipation of imminant snowfall and later freezing. It is spread simply to aid in traction. Plows clear the bulk of the snow followed by the spreading of rock salt to melt the balance. The use of these spreaders even working properly with the correct medium was probably never meant for snow covered roads.

Onlycityblue, Toronto
29/01/2010 at 05:43

spot on Ace Riley! spot on!

Jay B, oldham
28/01/2010 at 14:13

Are you sure you got this story right?? It should read "Outcry over 'useless' critters" meaning the council. lol

Ace Riley, outsidethebox
28/01/2010 at 13:03

d1v1s1onby0, Wigan 27/01/2010 at 19:07

Well said that man.I and another neighbour put out and collect the bins. This guy always complains "We" do not put his bin out. He dumps it a 3:30 am but does not open the gate in case he wakes us.

Andanotherthing, Mcr
27/01/2010 at 22:13

"The bloke just expected compacted grit could be slung in the gritter without loosening it up a bit first, found that it wouldn't spread then blamed the council. I've met his type before. "Grumble, grumble, I know, I'll blame the council"

What an arrogant person you are.

This is the "TYPE" that has actually volunteered to go out in the cold and grit his neighborhood, as opposed to you sat in front a PC belittling his efforts.

d1v1s1onby0, Wigan
27/01/2010 at 19:07

Take no notice of people like this whiner - Saddleworth is full of whinging comers-in who seem to think the hills are just the inner-city with grass.

Just Wondering?, North Manchester
27/01/2010 at 19:07

The bloke just expected compacted grit could be slung in the gritter without loosening it up a bit first, found that it wouldn't spread then blamed the council. I've met his type before. "Grumble, grumble, I know, I'll blame the council"

Higgs Boson, Greater Manchester
27/01/2010 at 16:57

I'm sorry to see 'thoughtful - east of Manchester' hasn't been feeling very well lately.

Keep taking the tablets mate - try lying down in a darkened room and you might be able to re-connect with reality.

Best wishes

Independent Parish Councillor Ken Hulme

Cllr Ken Hulme, Delph
27/01/2010 at 15:20

just to highlight! the grit that clogged up these gritters was almost 12 months old. and from the previous winter! it had been left all year to solidify and would not break up into smaller pieces to go through these mini gritters.

now! if the council had topped up these bins as they should have done the grit would have been fresh and there wouldnt have been a problem!

but yet again ombc failed to do the most simplest of tasks asked of them by us the tax payer!

ombc are not fit for purpose! just look at their recent history!

Jay B, oldham
27/01/2010 at 15:01

davefb, bolton.

You post is by far the best statement on this story but will be dismissed by all the usual moaners. Higgs Boson, Greater Manchester

Do you really think so ? - Usual Moaners eh ?

"Many of the volunteers found that the grit would not fit through the holes in the devices"

This is a pretty basic requirement is it not ? or is it that you just have to agree with authority at every opportunity.

IMBECILES!

d1v1s1onby0, Wigan
27/01/2010 at 13:11

davefb, bolton.

You post is by far the best statement on this story but will be dismissed by all the usual moaners.

Higgs Boson, Greater Manchester
27/01/2010 at 12:33

Audenshaw Bob: "The local councils ARE responsible for 'A' roads. The Highways Agency, according to section 27, are responsible for motorways. Under duty of care a council can be sued for not keeping the road free from ice over a constant 12 hour period on 'A' roads. Fact."

Your original statement was: "They [councils] have been found wanting in keeping even the main A roads and motorways clear during the cold snap"

To which I replied: "the Highways Agency is responsible for main A roads and motorways"

Notice that neither of us referred to all A roads, just main A roads. If an A road is classed as a local road, then it is the responsibility of the local authority, but if an A road is classed as a trunk road, it is the responsibility of the Highways Agency, just as motorways are.

Black Flag,
27/01/2010 at 11:01

The local councils ARE responsible for 'A' roads.

The Highways Agency, according to section 27, are responsible for motorways.

Under duty of care a council can be sued for not keeping the road free from ice over a constant 12 hour period on 'A' roads. Fact.

Audenshaw Bob, .
27/01/2010 at 10:20

At least you had some grit there was none to be had around here

big and blue, prestwich
27/01/2010 at 09:58

Does anybody bother to read the articles or have any knowledge of this. Grit doesnt shift snow, it is not for lots of snow. The headline should have been 'Man with no knowledge of a subject moans about the council'. We really are a sad shower , we complain about the price of council tax, but for some reason expect miracles during this bad weather but have no responsibility for our own position. The guy ended up using shovels, well yes, if the snow needs to be shovelled, then thats what you use, you don't grit it. Perhaps we should have more snowploughs, but if they're to be needed once every 30 years is that what we really want? I'm sure we'll all then be complaining about the fact our cars ended up buried under 20foot of snow from a plough.

davefb, bolton
27/01/2010 at 09:30

this story is a bit vauge as to the full story. grit works best when the road is clear of snow. the council should have advised residents that they needed to clear some snow first before applying the grit. but then this is the same council who cannot get their own gritting team to do that. they sent out their gritters after it had snowed when they should have gritted way before it had fallen. then when the snow had fell they sent the gritters out. without the ploughs on the front which are needed to clear excess snow first of all. so the grit couldnt do its job properly.

if they cannot get that right what chances did these mini gritters have?

Jay B, oldham
27/01/2010 at 09:28

salfordrat.Stooges?Think they got the job based on merit rather than on low IQ.

Angie33 , Manchester
27/01/2010 at 09:28

Audenshaw Bob: "I used to think that councils were their to serve the public. They have been found wanting in keeping even the main A roads and motorways clear during the cold snap"

There's a very simple reason for that - it isn't their job.

Councils are responsible for local roads, but the Highways Agency is responsible for main A roads and motorways, so any failure to keep them clear is the responsibility of an agency of the national government, not local government.

Black Flag,
27/01/2010 at 09:03

Audenshaw Bob you're spot on there! thats all they're bothered about! finding other ways to grab extra cash off you. yet they fail to deliver even the most basic of services when we the tax payer expect them. its time oldham council and others got their priorities right!

Jay B, oldham
27/01/2010 at 08:59

I used to think that councils were their to serve the public. They have been found wanting in keeping even the main A roads and motorways clear during the cold snap - extremely dangerous conditions despite their health and safety obsessions in irrelevant issues, they fail to empty the bins, the fail to keep street lights working

They fail miserably on the basics that a council should be about because they are spending too much time on finding ways of fining the public - cctv smart cars, using anto terror laws to spy on people who put their bins out too early.

Today we hear about a council who threatened to take a company to court because in a job advert the required 'reliable workers'. The council in question spent time and money fighting this because they said it was discriminatory to unreliabe people!

Focus on looking after the infrastructure, not on being left wing experimental think tanks.

Oh and what about the £217m spent of the congestion charge campaign that was riddled with inaccuracies (such as ther being no plan B yet we now have the investment!). Who got the chop for wasting the publics money?

Audenshaw Bob, .
27/01/2010 at 08:08

thoughtful, East of Manchester, you must be in Failsworth too.

3 days I was blocked in by snow. In the south of the borough where councillors very rarely acknowledge or visit. Neither a gritter nor binman to be seen. Do we get a discount on council tax? No I didn't think so.

Supreme Being, Manchester.
27/01/2010 at 07:57

Coun Roughley, said “The company we bought them from have a range of products, all named after mountain peaks 'Everest' and 'Mont Blanc' to name but two, which hardly suggests they are primarily designed for spreading fertiliser.

My car tyres say India on them but it doesn’t mean I’m going there, what a prattish statement to make. When the local elections come around show this comedian how fit for purpose he is.

It may be 34 yrs but it will never be 37yrs.,
27/01/2010 at 01:42

Sounds like an episode of Last of the Summer Wine

Mike, Manchester,
26/01/2010 at 22:54

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