Fixed
No grit on road
Sent to Northumberland County Council less than a minute later. FixMyStreet ref: 8573579.
The road needs to be gritted, it is not acceptable having grit piles with none on the road. It is the councils job to grit roads, we are not expected to spread our own grit. This is a school bus route and has already been reported numerous times, it is becoming a danger to school children.
Updates
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Thank You for your report. We will review this report at our earliest opportunity.
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Thank you for your further correspondence regarding winter gritting on this road. We acknowledge the strength of feeling expressed and understand your concerns, particularly in relation to road safety and the use of the route by school transport. The Council has a statutory duty to manage winter maintenance across the highway network in accordance with its approved Winter Services Policy. Due to the size of Northumberland (over 5,000 km²) and the finite resources available, it is not possible to routinely grit every road during winter conditions. The policy therefore adopts a prioritised approach, focusing on roads that carry the highest traffic volumes and provide the greatest overall benefit to road users. The precautionary gritting network is pre-defined and comprises Primary and Secondary routes. In built-up areas (defined as settlements with a population greater than 1,000), salting is carried out on selected parts of the network, derived from the road functional hierarchy, so that residents do not have to travel more than one mile to reach a treated route. In addition, main bus routes and link roads with steep downhill approaches (1 in 10 or steeper) are included. In non-built-up areas, salting is undertaken so that residents of smaller villages (defined as populations greater than 100) do not have to travel more than five miles to reach the treated network. While we recognise that this road is used by a school bus, it does not meet the criteria for inclusion within the Priority 1 or Priority 2 gritting network under the current policy. School bus use alone does not automatically result in a road being designated as a priority gritting route, as many such routes operate across the County and must be assessed and managed consistently and fairly. For clarity, the U7042 (Hound Hill Juction to Gibbs Hill) is not included within either the Priority 1 or Priority 2 gritting network. However, the U7038 (Close A Burns Junction to Twice Brewed Junction) forms part of the Haltwhistle 1 Priority 2 gritting route and will be treated in accordance with the policy. In addition, Northumberland County Council employs subcontractors to carry out gritting and snow ploughing on its behalf during periods of adverse weather, allowing Council resources to remain focused on the priority network. Further information about winter services, including gritting and snow ploughing operations, is available at: https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/ roads-and-streets/ winter-services/ gritting-and-ploughing Grit heaps are provided on non-priority roads at known risk locations, such as steep gradients and sharp bends. These are intended as a supplementary measure to support local access during adverse weather conditions. While we understand your view that residents should not be expected to spread grit, the provision of grit heaps is a recognised and widely used approach on non-priority roads and does not replace the Council’s primary responsibility to treat the priority network first. All reports received regarding this location have been recorded and carefully considered. The road has been managed in line with its designated status, and there is no evidence at this time to justify a change to its priority classification. The Council will continue to monitor conditions and respond appropriately during severe weather; however, any amendment to the gritting network would require a formal review against policy criteria and competing demands across the County. We appreciate you taking the time to raise your concerns and would like to reassure you that the safety of all road users, including school children, is an important consideration in our winter service planning. However, winter maintenance decisions must remain policy-led to ensure a consistent, proportionate, and sustainable service for all residents. On this basis, we are satisfied that the road has been managed appropriately in line with the Winter Services Policy, and no further action is proposed at this time. This report has now been closed. Thank you on behalf of Northumberland County Council.
This report is now closed to updates from the public. You can make a new report in the same location.