Cool response to Hoddlesden gritting plea

4:00pm Monday 12th November 2012 in News

Julie Slater at Bayne Street Julie Slater at Bayne Street

THE safety of children at a village primary school could be at risk after council chiefs refused to grit the road, a local councillor has said.

A petition signed by parents and governors at St Paul’s Primary School, Hoddlesden, asking for Bayne Street to be gritted was rejected at an executive board meeting of Blackburn with Darwen Council last week.

East Rural councillor Julie Slater reacted angrily, saying the road could become very dangerous in winter.

At the meeting, Coun Tony Humphrys, executive member for schools and education at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “The school is in a dip. Could we not look at it again?

“It is a difficult road. This situation applies to several schools in the borough.”

But Coun Dave Harling, executive member for regeneration, which covers highways, said: “We are already struggling to grit the routes we have to in time.

“It is unfortunate that the school was given the impression we could grit the road, but we cannot.

“For the grit and salt to work, it has to have traffic flowing over it and this would not happen.

“There are lots of roads we would like to salt, each taking two minutes, but we just cannot do them.

“We have to treat the primary and secondary routes.”

Councillors agreed to give the school a bag of salt in a bid to clear the pavements.

Speaking after the meeting, Coun Julie Slater said: “Tony Humphrys told me they were going to pass it, then Dave Harling said they couldn’t. He said it would open the floodgates and everyone would want their roads gritting.

“But this is about the safety of parents and children.

“If the school closes it gets penalised by Ofsted. The teachers and governers are fuming.”

Coun Slater said the council had ignored the concerns of village residents.

She said: “It is a busy road. And the offer of salt isn’t enough. We had a grit squad last year but it just didn’t work. When we had bad ice last year we had people crawling on their hands and knees as they couldn’t walk.”

Comments(16)

GAC says...
4:21pm Mon 12 Nov 12

But Coun Dave Harling, executive member for regeneration, which covers highways, said: “We are already struggling to grit the routes we have to in time.
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you can do them but you blocked the normal over time on gritters last year. and will only run them from 7am-7pm to save cash. this came in last year and caused issues all over the county and im sure its already cost lives.

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warren2007 says...
5:37pm Mon 12 Nov 12

what a load of rubbish i spent all my primary school life at st pauls in the seventies and early eighties when winters were a lot worse than now never shut and cant remember ever struggling too walk on bayne st and you need a lot of traffic too make the grit work and bayne st is a back st with hardly any traffic apart from school time mrs slater stop scare mongering

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mrsmal says...
6:43pm Mon 12 Nov 12

Warren2007. You may well have attended St Pauls in the seventies and eighties and yes winters probably were worse then. However as a parent and Childminder of children at the school who walks through Hoddlesden and down Bayne St twice a day every day I can assure you last year in particular it was treacherous! There were children and adults literally falling on the ice and as for your comment regarding there not being enough traffic to activate the salt you clearly haven't been down there recently.
I would kindly suggest before you accuse people of "scare mongering" you take a trip down there when it's bad and see for yourself!
We just want to get our children to school safely.
We are not asking the earth we just want a wagon to go round with some grit!!

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RUinsane says...
6:50pm Mon 12 Nov 12

What a load of tosh, grit salt doesn't need that much traffic to work. The road where I live has hardly any traffic at all. The residents gritted it and it worked just fine with minimal traffic. Hoddlesden needs gritting otherwise it becomes a no go area.

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Councillor Duncan says...
11:45pm Mon 12 Nov 12

There's a meeting at 7.30pm on Tuesday at King Georges hall Blackburn offering a 1 ton grit bag to volunteers who will keep their local area gritted - sounds as though some residents from Hoddlesden need to attend

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over-rovers says...
7:51am Tue 13 Nov 12

whats so speciial about hoddlesden its like that everywhere in winter and in winter if its that bad the school is closed anyway.

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Squeegy72 says...
8:19am Tue 13 Nov 12

I'm with Warren2007 on this one.....winters were always worse and I remember walking down Baynes Street with snow over the adults knees!!!
The key aspect back then though, was people walked to the school instead of driving. The traffic around there at school time now is ludicrous, with residents from the bottom estate being made to feel like they are driving the wrong way if they dare venture out at that time.
The teachers used to walk to school to keep it open for us, and Hoddlesden Road is gritted, so why can people not park their cars at the top and walk down?

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tottigirlP says...
11:32am Tue 13 Nov 12

Squeegy72 wrote:
I'm with Warren2007 on this one.....winters were always worse and I remember walking down Baynes Street with snow over the adults knees!!!
The key aspect back then though, was people walked to the school instead of driving. The traffic around there at school time now is ludicrous, with residents from the bottom estate being made to feel like they are driving the wrong way if they dare venture out at that time.
The teachers used to walk to school to keep it open for us, and Hoddlesden Road is gritted, so why can people not park their cars at the top and walk down?
As always we are dealing ith mothers who have lost the idea of walking with children. I am sick of having to time my movements so that I do not interfere with THEIR lives!!

The roads were particularly bad everywhere last year, but they still did not to leave their cars in the village and walk down Bayne Street.

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Dai Darwen says...
11:43am Tue 13 Nov 12

As for walking to school perhaps they only need to grit the footpaths. Or is it for the teacher's to be able to drive straight into school.

I suggest Councillor Slater goes where she is now when it is icy and take that stance. The ice will soon melt.

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mrsmal says...
2:18pm Tue 13 Nov 12

I wonder how many residents of Bayne St have moved there since the school was built? Should you not expect the road to be busier at the beginning and end of the day??

I also wonder if the residents of Bayne St would be prepared to clear the pavement outside their homes of snow and Ice so we could safely walk our children down to school??? This would only take a few minutes to do... The same few minutes it would take the gritter to go down!

If everyone bothered to clear their own bit of path then the pavements at least would be safe.

The number of cars at school time is ridiculous but unfortunately a sign of the times. The school does a "walk to school" week each year and on that week the majority of parents will park their cars on Hoddlesden Road and walk down. It is a shame they can't do this as a rule as the school regularly issues letters and pictures of inappropriate parking which causes risk to children's health and safety.

Before anyone comes back at me, I "DO" clear my drive and the pavement in front of my home, I also helped grit Bayne St last year and I also walk to St Pauls and back every day.

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over-rovers says...
2:40pm Tue 13 Nov 12

mrsmal wrote:
I wonder how many residents of Bayne St have moved there since the school was built? Should you not expect the road to be busier at the beginning and end of the day?? I also wonder if the residents of Bayne St would be prepared to clear the pavement outside their homes of snow and Ice so we could safely walk our children down to school??? This would only take a few minutes to do... The same few minutes it would take the gritter to go down! If everyone bothered to clear their own bit of path then the pavements at least would be safe. The number of cars at school time is ridiculous but unfortunately a sign of the times. The school does a "walk to school" week each year and on that week the majority of parents will park their cars on Hoddlesden Road and walk down. It is a shame they can't do this as a rule as the school regularly issues letters and pictures of inappropriate parking which causes risk to children's health and safety. Before anyone comes back at me, I "DO" clear my drive and the pavement in front of my home, I also helped grit Bayne St last year and I also walk to St Pauls and back every day.
The trouble is if you attempt to clear the pavement and somebody slips and injured them self then you are liable for there injuries.

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Is this Heartleyville says...
3:11am Wed 14 Nov 12

It's the School staff a govenors that are the problem here! They constantly cause problems with coaches and busses illegally parked and blocking access! They took over the council playing field that could ease access and closed it off without any consultation!and now call it their own? Grit is not the solution how about a new head mistress and set of govenors!

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Itsonlyme7 says...
1:19pm Wed 14 Nov 12

Shouldn't the roads around all schools be gritted? This isn't an issue of "mothers who have lost the idea of walking with children" or the fault of staff and governors, it's about the safety of the children attending not just this school, but others too. Didn't a young child in Blackburn die a couple of years ago due to slipping on ice outside her school because it hadn't been gritted? Surely we don't want this to happen again.
Rather than people dishing out their obstructive opinions, can we not look to a solution?
I take my daughter to school by car as I then have to carry on to work. I work and pay taxes as most people do to hopefully help to fund things that will benefit all.

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Is this Heartleyville says...
3:54pm Wed 14 Nov 12

The main safety issue here is not a few weeks of ice! It is and has always has been the daily traffic law breaking of the school & parents! Putting the children at risk by standing walking and parking on the chevrons and double yellows!

Get that sorted first then maybe this might be a story !

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Darwen Malc says...
10:02pm Thu 15 Nov 12

Ah bless, poor little cherubs slipping on ice. For God's sake stop wrapping them in cotton wool and prepare them for real LIFE! Snow = Ice = slippy = wear correct footwear and take care! And if you do slip, deal with it and get over it!

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Bellyflopper says...
1:27am Fri 16 Nov 12

Lets hope no one slips and falls and has to deal with it,accidents do happen but also accidents can also be prevented,such as walking your child to school safely with gritted pathways,leaving cars well away from bad routes which are not gritted,lets stop worrying about being prosecuted for doing good,lets take a shovel,take some grit and help clear the routes.so that parents,pupils,and residents can walk safely.we dont need a meeting but a polite letter to all concerned.just a small amount of your time when you can to help clear the way.and for the council to make sure they can supply grit as needed.i helped clear the way last year with the local milkman he needs to work as do I,but both our thoughts weren't of that, but of the young children and parents safety,but most of all the elderly who are all around us,who god forbid should anything happen that the emergency services can make there way through.lets stop this Ooo back in the day business and get a grip of the problem.im ex forces and had plenty of expirience in this type of weather I use to be based in Germany where if you didn't clear your own pathways you can be prosecuted.surely we can manage this small problem,I will be helping this winter again I hope you can too.

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