'Red tape makes gritting impossible in Huddersfield'

Dec 12 2008 by Sam Casey, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

RED TAPEBLOW FORGRITTERS

HIGHWAYS officials are ill-equipped to deal with chaos on Huddersfield’s roads this winter, a gritting expert has claimed.

Mark Schofield, whose company JB Schofield & Sons has gritted roads throughout the Colne Valley for the last 33 years, turned down the opportunity to renew his contract with Kirklees Council this year. He said red tape had made the job impossible.

The council is now carrying out much of the work itself but has been bombarded with complaints about dangerous roads.

As reported on Monday, inadequate gritting was blamed for five accidents on one stretch of Manchester Road near Marsden in just two hours on Saturday.

There had been major problems throughout the Colne Valley the previous Tuesday.

Mr Schofield said: “It was strange to stand there and watch the chaos on our home roads on Tuesday.

“Kirklees have taken the decision to grit Colne Valley roads from the depot in Honley rather than Slaithwaite.

“This is OK for a frost grit but in snow the empty gritter has to drive over snow covered roads to Honley to reload.

“By the time he gets back nearly two hours later all of his work is undone – multiple accidents and gridlock ensue.”