Best not call my point stupid three times if you simply don't know what you're talking about.

You're verging on GMR territory with the "I'm not wriggling, you are" line there. Every time he lost a debate he used to post "I'm not... you are".

I'll call your argument stupid when I think it is, however, I never called you stupid, that's the main thing. Whether I know if there are private roads that are primary or secondary routes, or even if there is or not, makes no difference to the argument about your 'grit my drive' analogy. Yet another attempt by you to divert from your erroneous argument.


I repeat, you are attempting to save face by childishly diverting the issue, but my point remains, why would you expect your drive to be salted, should private roads be granted as a legitimate salting route?

My point is, primary and secondary routes should be gritted. Your drive, regardless of public or private status doesn't and wouldn't qualify. That is why it is a stupid analogy.

Come on, which private roads are primary or secondary routes in the Newbury area and therefore gritted, stop wriggling.

Let's see how stupid the point was by you listing all of them in your next post, last chance to prove me wrong.

Do I detect another tactical retreat? But any way, what difference does it make to the argument? It would seem that it is not just your 'drive' post that is stupid.

No list? Seems the point wasn't so stupid after all.

To my mind this is an analogy which is correct. A private unadopted Road which is what was being discussed may be on a bus route, it may be used as a through road but it is not owned by WBC therefore they have no responsibility to grit or do anything else including getting their contractor to sweep the road or clean out drains. So I agree with User that if they do grit a private road then they could be expected to grit everywhere.
As far as the old chestnut about I shouldn't have to pay council tax if the road in front of my house isn't gritted is not valid. All the normal functions of WBC as far as their responsibilities are concerned are carried out including gritting the primary roads that lead to the private estate roads.
If you really want your road gritted, there are private contractors who will do this for you if you all have a whip round as do a large number of private companies in the area. I doubt Vodafone was gritted by WBC as suggested earlier and feel sure that one of the private contractors would have been paid to do this.

I agree with Iommi that a driveway with no public access is different to a housing estate, with exclusive access for buses at one end, and a high volume of usage by other traffic.

Why?

Would either you or user23 explain why a council gritting a private road would make it obligatory for a council to grit someone's drive?

I could understand the logic to some degree if all public roads were gritted/salted, but they are not. Being a public road doesn't on its own qualify it to be gritted. So like wise, I cannot see how one can rightly claim that gritting unadopted roads like the one in question, would oblige the council to include people's drives!

Meanwhile, there is black ice every where, but no salting. Has any one been by the bottom of Strawberry Hill, (near The Lion) where local residents (?) are out side trying to warn people of the ice?

No salters lately, it seems. Not enough snow perhaps?

No Grit or Salt Left appears to be the problem. If we are to take Global warming seriously then we need to have more grit and salt as the Winters will be colder and more Continental (if you believe in Climate change...)

Time to pull up the drawbridge and hibernate, I think. More heavy snow forecast and everywhere running out of salt.

So with the kids due back to school tomorrow, what's the odds on them getting an extended Christmas break?

The problem appears to be with the mines. They currently produce 30,000 tons a week, but have orders for 300,000 tons,

Yeah Right Blame it on the miners.

Anyone seen Mrs T lately?

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_...ings.html?day=1

Take Action! Run!

Hmm, maybe if the stocks of salt had been adequate in the first place.....

Oh hang on. Weren't we told that they were?

I think I recall WBC stating that they had adequate supplies of road salt.
Guess they underestimated!!!

I expect Mr Spray will go all quiet now or give use the 'unprecedented' or 'extreme' speech.
Its Winter. Should we not expect it to be cold and snow?

A quick drive past the depot at Chievely a few weeks ago showed mountains of rocksalt. Unless you keep it under cover, the rain will leach the salt out and you'll be left with a pile of grit.

I suppose they could have spent extra money and turned the showground into a giant depot but given we were suppose to have a Barbecue Summer, everyone woild be now complaining if we had a mild winter.

Save us from armchair experts.

Rarely have felt such anger towards this local authority, during the days of the ice and snow, town centre footpaths were without doubt in an appaling condition even after around 3 days some were still treacherous. Only where the sun had managed to melt some of the ice did some of the paths become useable. Council spokesman Mr Spray is wrong in saying that town centre footpaths were done at Christmas, some were, but most were not. Councils are there to support infrastructure. I would hope that if the snow do arrive once agin tonight that WBC will prioritise not major routes which clear themselves but town footpaths, so that those people who decide to walk to work or to the shops can then at least expect to be able to walk safely. I sincerely hope that senior council officers and senior councillors get out of their offices and go and take a look at just how dangerous our footpaths have become.

There are several footpath gritting machines on the market ( just look on the internet of you are reading Highway officers and get your budget to afford one or two) which could tackle a town like newbury quite quickly. These type of expenses would never be treated as anything other than a wise investment even of they are only used for a couple of months per year.