Free grit for all! - Page 16

Benipete · 10-12-2010, 18:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gayle

Mine arrived.

To be honest, I've been really disappointed by a lot of comments on this thread.

Last year LCC got caught out with the snow and didn't provide enough grit in the bins. HBC were powerless because LCC manage all the gritting so this year tried to do something positive to help the residents.

Unfortunately they got caught out a bit by the early snowfall. I don't know about you, but I can't remember it snowing before Christmas for many, many years - who could have predicted that?

They did their best to get the word out through normal channels - i.e. website, papers, area management meetings etc - so if you didn't find out about it, it's because you actively avoid finding out. It's been a topic of discussion on here for about a month so there's no excuse for not knowing and then subsequently missing out. You can't blame the council for that - they did their best to let everyone know without incurring more costs.

As for the costs - the first post from Ken says that Cllr Ciaren Wells had calculated that it would cost £6.6m to do this. In reality it's been little over £16k. Heaven help us if someone with those maths skills ever gets in power.

It's a funny old thing Winter It sneaks up on you when you least expect it.That is why I tend to prepare for it as you never know what time of year It may arrive.

Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones in so much I expect it to happen towards the end of the year and strange as it may seem I have always been found to be correct.Bit like the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon.(what ever)

However to be on the safe side I watch the habits of the sheep in the fields.Never let me down yet.

So every year towards the end of October I arm myself with a large bucket of grit/salt just in case.

I suppose you could say grit or bust - but I won't.

Neil · 10-12-2010, 18:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benipete

However to be on the safe side I watch the habits of the sheep in the fields.Never let me down yet.

I never had you down as the sort to ermmm watch

sheep but I suppose you can never tell what people are into

Neil · 10-12-2010, 18:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

A better way of spending £10k would have been to buy four hand gritters at £630 apiece and just under 3 tonnes of grit for each of the 16 wards (at a current valuation of £4 for 25kg). Some wards aren't going to need 3 tonnes on the footpaths and everyone in the borough would have genuinely benefitted without all this rigmarole of phoning up, shovelling into bags and delivering.

I don't think that would be very practical. Where would you hand grit? When would you do it? Who would do it?

jaysay · 10-12-2010, 18:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gayle

Mine arrived.

To be honest, I've been really disappointed by a lot of comments on this thread.

Last year LCC got caught out with the snow and didn't provide enough grit in the bins. HBC were powerless because LCC manage all the gritting so this year tried to do something positive to help the residents.

Unfortunately they got caught out a bit by the early snowfall. I don't know about you, but I can't remember it snowing before Christmas for many, many years - who could have predicted that?

They did their best to get the word out through normal channels - i.e. website, papers, area management meetings etc - so if you didn't find out about it, it's because you actively avoid finding out. It's been a topic of discussion on here for about a month so there's no excuse for not knowing and then subsequently missing out. You can't blame the council for that - they did their best to let everyone know without incurring more costs.

As for the costs - the first post from Ken says that Cllr Ciaran Wells had calculated that it would cost £6.6m to do this. In reality it's been little over £16k. Heaven help us if someone with those maths skills ever gets in power.

Take no notice Gayle its all part of Ken Mosses campaign of hang Britcliffe from the yard arm, mind you if they hadn't moaned about grit, somebody would have found something else to prattle on about on here

jaysay · 10-12-2010, 18:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gayle

It was that interesting was it? You thought the audience might be asleep?

Well now you know how I feel during your Chairman of Rhyddings Park speeches!!!!

I thank the lord I ain't able to attend Gayle

jaysay · 10-12-2010, 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

I don't think that would be very practical. Where would you hand grit? When would you do it? Who would do it?

Rishton would be okay

Ken Moss · 10-12-2010, 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

I don't think that would be very practical. Where would you hand grit? When would you do it? Who would do it?

Along the pavements.

When the weather is as severe as last week.

The borough caretakers (not much litter picking to be done when it's frozen under the ice).

To put that idea in perspective, most of the ice is now gone and the majority of wards are still waiting for their grit. If a team of four had gone gritting on the first day and done a minimum of two wards per day it would still have been far quicker. For the money that has been spent you could near enough do the same again when we get another cold snap and you would help more people rather than just the ones who managed to phone up in time.

The grit bags idea was OK in principle but the work, costs and man-hours involved outweigh the benefits of the exercise (unless you count the by-election).

Ken Moss · 10-12-2010, 18:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaysay

Rishton would be okay

Actually, the only fair way would be names out of a hat. We've had the spin about height above sea level but that would have meant Rishton got its grit bags first and it hasn't happened...

Even alphabetical order doesn't work. St Andrews and St Oswalds last? I don't think so.

Neil · 10-12-2010, 18:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

If a team of four had gone gritting on the first day and done a minimum of two wards per day it would still have been far quicker.

2 wards a day using 4 people. Where do you hire super heros from?

Ken Moss · 10-12-2010, 18:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

2 wards a day using 4 people. Where do you hire super heros from?

If three people can deliver leaflets to the whole of Rishton in five hours I suspect it is just about possible walking behind a grit spreader that needs refilling every few streets.

Let's be pessimistic, add a couple of extra people to the job, live on the edge.

Less · 10-12-2010, 19:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Less

To be honest I'm a little disappointed with this post, so long winded & of no practical use.
Yes, LCC did get caught out last year, yes Ken did mention a fantasy figure of £6.6 million but had you read further you would have seen that he has promised not to attempt humour ever again.
I got a leaflet through my door from my Conservative representative bragging about this scheme, when I get home I'll scan it in, somehow it reads of creeping for votes, but what do I know, I am a mere engineer, of no artistic value to the community at all.

Well, all I can do is apologise, I said I would scan the propaganda in, (surprised no one beat me to it), however I must have filed it in the white sack, but can't find it.

If I do come across it I will do as I said.

P.S. to digress, while I was away I got a 2011-2012 calender, Which bin should the metal spiral be placed in for recycling?

Bernard Dawson · 10-12-2010, 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

If three people can deliver leaflets to the whole of Rishton in five hours I suspect it is just about possible walking behind a grit spreader that needs refilling every few streets.

Let's be pessimistic, add a couple of extra people to the job, live on the edge.

Just hang on a minute Ken. Where's the votes in doing that.