Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

A totally inadequate response to grit bin consultation.

After the bad weather of last winter, Wiltshire Council asked parish councils if they needed more grit bins to keep their roads safe.

Bins are placed on roads which are not on the normal gritting routes and where the road is steep or prone to icing.

Town and Parish Councils responded with requests for 422 bins (Hilperton asked for six). In response Wiltshire Council has said they can provide .... 100! Apparently it isn't the cost, it's the fact that they wouldn't be able to service them and ensure that they have grit in them.

However, using the sort of thinking only WC could hope to get away with, instead of seeking the best sites for the restricted number of new bins, the council will allocate them on a percentage basis in comparison with existing provision. This means that the areas which have lots of bins already will get more, whilst areas with few bins will get less. Each area board will get a 10% increase on the number they have at the moment. This means that the Trowbridge area, which apparently has only 12, and asked for 12 more, gets one!!

You might care to let the Cabinet member for highways, Dick Tonge, know what you think about this especially if you live on one of the hilly parts of Paxcroft Mead. His email address is richard.tonge@wiltshire.gov.uk