Salt/Grit Bin
Reported by Peter Hawkins at 13:29, Fri 18 December 2009
Sent to City of York Council 1 minute later
In November 2007, City of York Council indicated its intention to rationalise the number of salt bins which it would maintain. This matter came before Upper Poppleton Parish Council where it was announced that the Rural West Ward Committee would maintain 3 Salt Bins in Upper Poppleton. The Parish Council chose locations at Ebor Way/Dikelands Lane, Springfield Road and outside the Library. Bins were subsequently located outside the Library, at BOTH ends of Springfield Road but not at the junction of Ebor Way & Dikelands Lane. From my position as a Parish Councillor, I did raise this issue with our Clerk but no action has been taken to correct the situation. Indeed, all 3 bins were removed during the summer and then replaced in their current locations. I have attached a photograph of the junction in question which is at the side of my house. When there was a salt bin next to my wall, I was always ready to make use of it to sprinkle salt and grit on what is a particularly dangerous corner being on a slight rise and being on one of the main routes through the village and especially used by parents taking children to the nearby school. This morning, in spite of there being no bin outside my house, I took a bucket down to Springfield Road and brought some salt and grit back to sprinkle on the snow. As the attached picture shows, this small contribution was effective because you can see that further down Ebor Way the snow is still compacted on the surface even though the same number of cars have run over that area as have driven out of the junction.
I might also point out that there was no evidence of either of the bins at the opposite ends of Springfield Road having been used by anyone to sprinkle salt and grit on the adjacent junctions.
I would be most grateful if someone in the appropriate department could find the manpower necessary to uplift one of the bins on Springfield Road and deposit it adjacent to my garden wall just to the right of the Ebor Way street sign which is just off the left hand side of the attached picture. I would then be more than happy to assist City of York Council in maintaining maximum safety at this junction by making use of the material in the bin.
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Updates
I received a response from a Technical Officer in the Highways Department at City of York Council who told me that if I wanted the grit bin to be re-instated I would need to take it up with my ward councillor and that a highways officer would need to visit the site and consult my neighbours before a bin could be put back where one stood for many years prior to 2007. I have taken this up with one of my ward councillors but I do think it is completely bonkers that grit bins are provided at both ends of Springfield Road where there is very little gradient and the junctions are not particularly busy but there is not one at the junction of Ebor Way and Dikelands Lane which is (a) on a gradient and (b) one of the busienst junctions in the village. I have continued to trudge down to Springfield Road with my bucket and spade in an effort to keep the junction safe but it would be nice if my efforts could be rewarded by having a grit bin handy the next time it snows.
I am still 'on the case' with regard to getting a grit bin located at this busy and potentially dangerous junction. If you agree with what I have said in the original report, please email your views to cindy.benton@york.gov.uk and copy me in for information.
This has been one of the longer running issues with City of York but I am pleased to say that a grit bin, complete with grit, has now been positioned where I requested and in good time for any snow and ice we may face in the coming winter.
I spoke too soon. On Tuesday 7th December, just when this junction was most in need of gritting and with the salt bin having been empty for 10 days, three City Council workmen in a lorry moved the bin from this dangerous junction and put it back at the junction of Springfield Road/Dikelands Lane and refilled it. They did not refill the bins at the Allerton Drive Shops or the junction of Springfield Road/Allerton Drive at the same time which seemed a bit wasteful given that they had travelled all the way to Poppleton to move a bin 100 yards. I am now back on the case of getting a 'permanent' salt bin at the dangerous junction at Ebor Way/Dikelands Lane which is immediately outside my house and which I am more than happy to spread grit on if only the City Council would provide a bit of grit for me to do it with !
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