Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Gilberdyke and North Cave Parish Councils take the lead to clear snow in their villages


Both Gilberdyke and North Cave Parish Council’s took the lead and employed diggers to clear the unprecedented levels of snow from the streets within their villages.

After numerous complaints and requests from residents Gilberdyke Parish Council employed Sweeting Brothers who provided a tractor with a snow plough blade to clear the streets within the village. Local framer Miles Kirk from Oxmardyke also provided his loading shovel driven by local businessman Howard Malcolmson to remove some of the snow from the roads where it would create problems for pedestrians if the snow was pushed from the road onto the footpaths. The Parish Council's road sweeper, Parish Councillors and volunteers also donned shovels to help with the work.

After receiving similar requests from residents North Cave who were finding it difficult to get their vehicles from their driveways to the main roads in the village, employed local farmer Dick Brown with his loading shovel to clear the streets in Manor Road, Blanchards Lane and others.

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) has done a sterling job in keeping the 800 plus miles of A and B roads clear, but simply does not have the resources to work on all the minor roads and streets within villages. This is why I feel it is important that the communities pitch in to do their bit, and as we have seen in Gilberdyke and North Cave - the Parish Councils have taken the lead.

I acknowledge that there are going to be lessons learnt from this recent period of snow. Perhaps we need to look back to the past when we had farmers ready to go to clear the minor roads using their tractors. I remember when I was growing up in Faxfleet the local farmer had a snow plough that he attached to the front of a tractor.

If we had been able to call on an army of farmers with their modern 4 x 4 grain shovels or using simple snow ploughs, the snow could have been cleared before it turned to ice, and we would not be witnessing the inches of compacted and frozen snow on minor roads and streets within our villages.

People say it’s the compensation culture that is preventing people from clearing the snow from outside their properties and more so shopkeepers from clearing the snow form outside their retail premises. The East Riding of Yorkshire Council has issued guidance to Parish Councils but I feel more needs to be done to dismiss the rumours surrounding this compensation culture where people are afraid to become involved in helping themselves and others for fear of being sued.

6 comments:

robert williamson said...

This story represents a good effort from gilberdyke and north cave parish councils.I also feel eryc has made an excellent effort ploughing and gritting down broad lane gilberdyke.
However the shoppers car park on scalby lane gilberdyke is very dangerous and like a skating rink.I have spoken to one shopkeeper and staff in another shop and they dont seem to know who is responsible for clearing snow or gritting in the car park.Today a large lorry delivering to the supermarket became stuck on snow/ice on willow green and could not move resulting in the exit to the car park being blocked.I understand from a good source a similar lorry was stuck in the same place for 3 hours one day last week.The grit bin near the exit is also empty.My son slipped on the ice at the enterance to the car park on tuesday morning and slightly sprained his ankle.I am thinking of taking my trade elsewhere perhaps other should do the same!

Anonymous said...

As I understand it the shops car park is the responsibility of the landlord. Some strategic grit bins are provided and filled by East Riding council and some provided by the parish council but filled under contract by ERYC.

Shopper said...

Glad to see you had organised clearing the shops car park and filling of the grit bin Paul.
Thanks for your efforts

Anonymous said...

Following my comments about the very poor state of the shoppers car park on scalby lane,gilberdyke (along with complaints from other people you received) I would like to thank you for your hard work in organising and in conjunction with Sweeting Brothers Ltd (with their jcb)and to anyone else who was involved, in removing the ice and gritting the car park and also for the having the grit bin refilled.The car park is a lot lot better now.A very worthy effort.Well done Paul!

Anonymous said...

Just to point out that in Faxfleet and Blacktoft, the local farmers (Robert Patchet, Sweetings, and Yokefleet Farms) all voluntarily used their machinery to clear the road and to pull out stuck vehicles. Many thanks!

Anonymous said...

If East Riding had dropped salt at the end of each street we could all have helped even more, as we did down many streets. We did this not for the publicity, as we looked after the old people.
No pictures needed.