Free grit for all!

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

Oswaldtwistle speaks for itself,

Do pray Tell Kenneth, I live in Ossy and heard about this idea on here nowhere else no leaflets put through our doors, not personal phone calls(as if I'd get one anyway) but actually its time you backed your gob up with facts not innuendo

[JCB]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

We couldn't deliver grit to de-ice the roads because the roads were icy?

A borough-wide scheme which involved no extra effort on the part of the voters would have been far better, as it stands we have thousands of residents who have missed out on this overly-complicated exercise because they didn't live in the right ward.

I'm afraid that all this political pettiness that you are obsessed with stems from political bias from the controlling group in the first place.

.

I live in Spring Hill ward , and will have my grit delivered eventually . The side streets around here are not gritted . I never expected delivery during the unforseen early spell of very wintry weather . I am not going to blame the council for being behind any dates it promised .

Yes the scheme could have been planned better . I would have gone for a delivery to every house in the borough , but I am not going to go overboard and damn the council for it because Hyndburn is faced with issues of far greater importance which are not being addressed by its councillors .

You say I am obsessed with political pettiness . You admit that it exists . I have a democratic right to express my annoyance and anger at it . I am not some populist party political animal , so I will continue to vex my anger .

You say that the pettiness stems from the controlling group . No doubt some of it does . But don't make out that Labour , Old Labour , New Labour , whatever you want to call it , is squeaky clean in this regard . We aren't so gullible .

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by JCB

I live in Spring Hill ward , and will have my grit delivered eventually . The side streets around here are not gritted . I never expected delivery during the unforseen early spell of very wintry weather . I am not going to blame the council for being behind any dates it promised .

Yes the scheme could have been planned better . I would have gone for a delivery to every house in the borough , but I am not going to go overboard and damn the council for it because Hyndburn is faced with issues of far greater importance which are not being addressed by its councillors .

You say I am obsessed with political pettiness . You admit that it exists . I have a democratic right to express my annoyance and anger at it . I am not some populist party political animal , so I will continue to vex my anger .

You say that the pettiness stems from the controlling group . No doubt some of it does . But don't make out that Labour , Old Labour , New Labour , whatever you want to call it , is squeaky clean in this regard . We aren't so gullible .

If you're on about national politics then I'll agree that there is an awful lot of objecting just for the sake of it on all sides. I personally am happy to leave them to it, Westminster is far removed from my sphere of influence and (here it comes...) I'm far too busy with Hyndburn let it take up my time.

Objections to the Conservative policies in Hyndburn generally boil down to a lack of common sense, and I include some of the comments from the Independent group in there as well. I'll state yet again that all 35 of us are here primarily to serve the borough but 17 of that number seem to be under the illusion that public money is there to win popularity. We aren't here to look good, we aren't here to be everyone's best friend and we aren't here to splash money around while everyone else is being hammered and then blame 13 years of another government.

This was not the most effective way to use that money and it did not benefit as many people as it could have done. I'm not simply having what might be considered to be a Tory bash, I'm saying it how it is.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

If you're on about national politics then I'll agree that there is an awful lot of objecting just for the sake of it on all sides. I personally am happy to leave them to it, Westminster is far removed from my sphere of influence and (here it comes...) I'm far too busy with Hyndburn let it take up my time.

Objections to the Conservative policies in Hyndburn generally boil down to a lack of common sense, and I include some of the comments from the Independent group in there as well. I'll state yet again that all 35 of us are here primarily to serve the borough but 17 of that number seem to be under the illusion that public money is there to win popularity. We aren't here to look good, we aren't here to be everyone's best friend and we aren't here to splash money around while everyone else is being hammered and then blame 13 years of another government.

This was not the most effective way to use that money and it did not benefit as many people as it could have done. I'm not simply having what might be considered to be a Tory bash, I'm saying it how it is.

Next year at this time the sheep could well be wearing diverent clothes, but nothing will have changed and if you think any different your living on cloud cuckoo land

[Neil]

Originally Posted by jaysay

Next year at this time the sheep could well be wearing diverent clothes, but nothing will have changed and if you think any different your living on cloud cuckoo land

It will be great next year though when every pavement in the whole of Hyndburn will be gritted buy half a dozen blokes for very little money.

It will make walking my two to school a lot safer.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Neil

It will be great next year though when every pavement in the whole of Hyndburn will be gritted buy half a dozen blokes for very little money.

It will make walking my two to school a lot safer.

I may even get out in my wheelchair Neil

[Neil]

I can see the news story now in the Observer (it will be about 3 weeks late) about how all the footpaths are clear but not the roads and how the Council have got their priorities all wrong.

The moaning brigade on here will be moaning about it before the Observer prints it

Like I said, damed if you do, damned if you dont.

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by Neil

It will be great next year though when every pavement in the whole of Hyndburn will be gritted buy half a dozen blokes for very little money.

It will make walking my two to school a lot safer.

I don't think Ken has thought about the manpower of giving the grit to local people. If it snows heavy it'd take forever to send council workers out to clear it from all the pavements. If lots of households have grit they can all do their little bit. There should be grit left over if it snows again, for people to do their little bit again, rather than waiting a week or two for the council to clear the pavements!

As for the election, Baxenden is hardly a marginal seat. Labour accusing the Conservatives of trying to buy the by-election with grit-bribery is rather laughable and helps to explain why they've been out of office in Hyndburn so long.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by andrewb

I don't think Ken has thought about the manpower of giving the grit to local people. If it snows heavy it'd take forever to send council workers out to clear it from all the pavements. If lots of households have grit they can all do their little bit. There should be grit left over if it snows again, for people to do their little bit again, rather than waiting a week or two for the council to clear the pavements!

As for the election, Baxenden is hardly a marginal seat. Labour accusing the Conservatives of trying to buy the by-election with grit-bribery is rather laughable and helps to explain why they've been out of office in Hyndburn so long.

Nice try but I will quote Tealeaf from earlier in the thread

people can apply for free delivery of the said grit for use on quote '...private pathways and driveways..'.

Where does it mention pavements ?

[katex]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Where does it mention pavements ?

Splitting hairs, Lancsdave. They were just trying to say you can use it on your drive/back yards, unlike the grit from the bins. You winding up ?

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by katex

Splitting hairs, Lancsdave. They were just trying to say you can use it on your drive/back yards, unlike the grit from the bins. You winding up ?

Well I ain't going to walk through everybody's back yard just so I don't slip

Not winding up, just think it's all wrong

[Neil]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Not winding up, just think it's all wrong

Like I said before - should the Council provide grit for residents private property or is that the responsibility of the resident?

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by Neil

Like I said before - should the Council provide grit for residents private property or is that the responsibility of the resident?

And I said before, the council shouldn't provide it, they should concentrate on public areas, ie pavements

[katex]

Originally Posted by Neil

Like I said before - should the Council provide grit for residents private property or is that the responsibility of the resident?

Basically, no, Neil, not much cost to buy grit or table salt is it ? Or, if able, to clear it yourself. Just a gesture I reckon.

Originally Posted by lancsdave

And I said before, the council shouldn't provide it, they should concentrate on public areas, ie pavements

Well, wouldn't be feasible/cost effective to clear all pavements within the borough ... even with Ken's ludicrous suggestion. For a start, would need more than four men .... have to be at it 24/7, which would mean doubling this workforce. Then wouldn't be just the once after it melts and freezes again ! That's for starters. We do have sixteen wards.

By the way, Ossy did not get priority for deliveries :

From HBC website :

Latest news

Grit Deliveries in Hyndburn

Published Tuesday 30th November 2010 in Council and democracy news
Deliveries for Hyndburn Borough Council's extra grit for residents has now started.
The First deliveries in Baxenden, Knuzden and Belthorn have now been completed as we expect to finish Great Harwood today.
We will be delivering in Rishton and Oswaldtwistle this week.
If you live in any of these areas and you have not received your grit by the end of this week, you will be on our second wave of deliveries for those who called or emailed us after 25th November.
We will update this website with our delivery proress.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by katex

Well, wouldn't be feasible/cost effective to clear all pavements within the borough ....

I agree, but they could do some. They obviously should prioritise areas more heavily used by the public and work from there.