I agree with your specific point. As a wider issue I think that many look at some of the more incredible middle and upper level positions, with their incredible salaries and pension benefits, that have sprouted in the last decade in many local council hierarchies. Many may wonder whether having their roads gritted is infact better value than paying 6 figure annual sums to for example a Diversity Officer or a Director Of Parking, with the resulting pension costs eating into their Council Tax contributions.

And how often in the last 30 years have we experienced more than the odd sprinkling of snow?



Right, so they can cut back on social care and spend money on salt - righto



Because it costs money to adapt vehicles, how would paying for expensive adaptations, that are rarely used yet still have to be maintained, sit with your perceived value for money?



If you're looking forward to "more commercial delivery" then be very carefull what you wish for, you just might get what you want. We've got a "more commercial delivery" of things like cleaning in the NHS, hence the spread of C-difficile and MRSA

You all have a vote, why not take the opportunity and use it?

With an average turnout of 26% at the last (200icon_cool.gif local elections, it appears that the people of Hull get the council they deserve

There's certainly plenty of waste in local government, but I think people are linking two unconnected issues. There's no evidence to suggest that savings in other areas would have resulted in better gritting/clearing of roads - the money simply won't get spent there due to the relative infrequency of weather as bad as we've had recently. Gritting/clearing is no worse now than it ever has been in my experience. We've just had far worse weather this winter which has thrown it into sharp relief.

Of course, if priorities are changed and everyone decides that we [ido[/i want to spend more cash on better equipment and larger stocks of grit and salt then there should be plenty of opportunity to fund a substantial chunk of it through efficiency/cost savings.

If you are referring to having a vote in Hull then I don't get one living in Staffordshire.



Fair point. My point was more aimed at a national level.

Yes like I say I agreed with your specific point about gritting. There is evidence that national government ignored advice from both motoring organisations and local government regarding lessons to be learned from last year's shortages. As for efficiency savings in the public sector, they are required because the country is essentially bankrupt and not because we need more salt.

Maybe you should have a less ambiguous username. They didn't ignore it, they made the mistake of relying on local authorities to follow recommendations. Which ties in with my point about local democracy above.

The Highways Agency stocked twice the recommended amount of salt, which is why the motorways and trunk roads have been in better nick than local roads. The various councils decided to go with the minimum possible and have been caught out.

Can't argue with your last point.

If you do that I can promise you that my desk will be swamped with letters demanding we guarantee that the floods of 2007 are "never allowed to happen again" the second there is a little bit of rain. (Along with everything else that must "never happen again", and all the roads that must always be perfectly lit, cleaned, surfaced, the full length of east riding costal defences that some people think can be magicked out of thin air etc etc etc. All a wonderful idea, but when it comes to paying for it people tend to get upset about that aswell.

Thread drift or what.......wonder which one of the 2 mods causing the drift will lock it 1st.

If the match was in danger..something would have been reported by now....so stop the council bitching and get it back on topic.....if it was of us lowly oinks doing so..you would soon tell us.

You need to get yourself in the cuddle club mate.

On the weather front.

No amount of salt would have prevented or helped last Friday in Hull, it was a combination of things coming together to cause it.

A very heavy snowfall

Everyone decided to leave work early as one

To many inexperienced driver not knowing how to drive in the conditions.

We have not had anything like that for 30 odd years and sure local councils have cut back on salt stocks, equipment etc. Years ago they used ex military equipment converted bought in cheap now these machines are state of the art designed for the job of course there are less of them. We prepare for winter using the least we can feel we can get away with and that includes every driver. In other countries vehicles have to be fitted with special winter tryes by a certain time in Autumn, imagine the uproar if they had to do that here every year.

Council vehiles used to be multi functional once as well, dustcarts doubled up as snow ploughs as well they are to expensive and specialised now. We may not get another winter like this for another 30 years or it may happen every year for the next ten. We had a once in a 200 hundred year flood a couple of years ago do we spend a fortune on massive flood defences now.

You can not prepare or spent for everything without pots of cash to burn

1.Do not mention the cuddle club
2.Do not mention the cuddle club
3.Do not mention the cuddle club