Salt box concerns raised by Derry & Strabane representatives

Describing it as ‘the age old issue of gritting’, Ballyarnett Aontú Colr Emmet Doyle said: “We know there’s going to be a cold snap over the next number of days and what we don’t want to see is what happened a couple of weeks ago when this city and district was brought to a standstill.

“We know there is bad weather coming and it’s imperative that Roads Service DfI are ready for this.

“I would say that every member of this council was spending days and days putting in requests, getting grit piles replenished and boxes refilled the last time.

“We need to nudge Road Service, we know there’s a cold snap coming and we don’t want a repeat of people ringing councillors up at all hours asking where gritters are and when grit is going to be delivered. “

Agreeing, Chair, Alderman Keith Kerrigan, added: “There’s grit piles that haven’t been placed on some roads for a number of years and there’s no point DfI coming and saying they have.”

Sinn Féin Colr Emma McGinley asked if there had been any response from DfI after council had written to them following January’s committee meeting in relation to the refilling of salt and grit boxes and if they had a plan for the expected cold snap.

She said: “During the week I did a bit of work when there was an incident where young people had thrown stones at a gritter in Creggan so I know they have been out. We’ve made an appeal for young people to be aware of those actions but we are working to get those services reinstated in the area.”

UUP Alderman Derek Hussey informed the committee a contractor had been used by DfI in certain areas.

“I had emailed through a list to DfI of roads reported without grit piles and the answer that came back was that the order had been issued to the contractor,” he commented. “So it’s not DfI who are going out, it’s a contractor they have brought in and I wonder if they follow up and send someone out to check that the contractor has done what they are supposed to do.

“If roads are being missed there is something wrong, there should be some check as to the job actually being done.”

Responding to Colr McGinley’s question, Karen McFarland, Director of Health and Communities confirmed a letter had been sent on January 25 and as yet no update had been received from DfI.

Gillian Anderson

Local Democracy Reporter