Thursday, January 14, 2010

Pledge No. 1 - More Grit Bins



There will be plenty of information over the next four months about our manifesto, detailing the pledges that we are making to Sutton residents to make the Borough a better place to live and work. The snow has brought forward our first:

We will substantially increase the number of grit bins to ensure that residents have reasonable access to help themselves.

Stonecot resident Adrian Short has done a great service in mapping the bins across the borough. Thanks to Adrian, as well as making it easier for us to get the grit we need for our own roads, we are able to see the gaps in provision. Hackbridge, the planned sustainable jewel in Sutton's crown, has absolutely no grit bins. Worcester Park and North Cheam have been largely forgotten. This is nothing new with some of the roads in Nonsuch ward being the worst maintained in Sutton.

Grit bins cost £90 each and the grit to fill each bin costs £9. Sutton has been in the same difficult position as all councils in London, stretched to capacity to cope with the conditions. The gritting teams, the customer service department and other areas of service who have needed to help the most vulnerable, have worked hard and managed well. However, more direction from the political leadership and a little more investment not less, would help residents help themselves.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Been driving around today and on the side roads where the thaw is taking place there are many large potholes emerging.
Watch out if you are a cyclist..

Adrian Short said...

You can report potholes at Fill That Hole, FixMyStreet or straight to Sutton Council.

Worcester Park said...

I was pleasantly surprised to find the grit bins in Worcester Park were full to the brim last week.

Then, when I wrote about it on my Worcester Park Blog, I found out why - it seems that most people are unaware that the grit bins are provided so that local residents can grit their own roads/pavements.

I spent over an hour trundling back and forth from the grit bin t get supplis to grit the pavement along my road.

A number of people commented on the blog that now they know that the grit bins are their for public use, they will be making use of them in future.

If that does happen, the grit bins will very quickly get emptied and we will need more.

Still, better than New Malden where my brother lives. He can't find any grit bins locally.

Cllr David Pickles said...

Is this the same "Adrian Short" who wasted no time in posting puerile comments on the Guardian website re Cllr Theobalds decision to defect to UKIP? Honestly, the Tories must be pooing themselves.

Actually, if he's that wonderful, why not put him up as a candidate? After all, I understand the "Tories" are having trouble filling their quota.

Cllr David Pickles said...

As I said earlier last week, and have now been proved correct - here is a sneak preview of part of the next "Tory" manifesto:-

VOTE FOR US - AND EVERY SQUARE INCH (WE PROMISE) OF THE LONDON BOROUGH OF SUTTON WILL CONTAIN NO ICE OR SNOW WHATSOEVER. IN FACT IF YOU FALL FOR OUR CHEAP TRICK, WE PROMISE, IF YOU VOTE FOR US, TO
GIVE YOU AS MUCH GRIT AS YOU REQUIRE. YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH THE CONSERVATIVES"

Good god! Next we'll see Cllr Scully in a fluroescent yellow jacket gritting the pavements!

If ever a party were desperate to engage everyone and everybody with populist stunts it's the "Tories".

Adrian Short said...

Cllr Pickles,

You seem to have got entirely the wrong end of the stick. I'd absolutely love to stand as a UKIP candidate but we seem to have got off on entirely the wrong foot. Such a shame.

Still, if you're prepared to reconsider I'll send you my CV. I may never have had a proper job and I know next to nothing about politics but I really, really hate the Romans. Is that enough?

Out of interest, what's your gritting policy? I enjoy banter as much as the next chap but it's good to have a bit of politics thrown in from time to time.

Cllr David Pickles said...

How absolutely academic of you Adrian. By your above post you consider yourself either cleverer than me, or superior.

Unfortunately your stubborn support for the "tories" will not get you anywhere, so I suggest you give it up now.

Adrian Short said...

Oh well, one door closes, another opens.

Would it make any difference if I joined the LibDems first and then defected? Or, indeed, the Tories?

This politics lark is harder than it looks.

Cllr David Pickles said...

Yes, a lot more difficult. You ought to try it sometime.

David B, CB said...

You should too, Mr Pickled.

Oh, you have?

Sorry, didn't notice. Must've been squeezed in between the fulminating ranting obsession about 'destroying the Tories'.

Downwind of the Cock said...

What a great example of a local politician Pickles is, talk about playing the man rather than the ball, just get something done about the grit instead of wasting your time trying (and failing) to score petty party political points on here.

Cllr David Pickles said...

Lol! Tories "pledge" more grit bins. More money for the council-tax payer to cough up. On the other hand, my lead letter in this weeks Sutton Guardian gives another perspective. Private Grit Bins. Something of course, the "tories" wouldn't even consider. They want to spunk our money up the wall as much as the Lib-Dems. What a laugh. Vote for change? No chance.