'Don't move gritters 10 miles away and leave us exposed' - row breaks out between Lancashire councils over ???
A plan to move gritting services away from Rossendale has been met with a frosty reception - and worries of road safety over winter.
Lancashire County Council have proposed closing the gritting depot at Futures Park, Bacup, because it “requires significant investment to remain operational”, and have suggested running gritting services from Burnley - 10 miles away.
Futures Park is leased from Rossendale Borough Council and LCC say that when they enquired about relinquishing the lease, the borough council requested the site back. Now Rossendale Borough Council’s deputy leader, Councillor Andrew Walmsley has bitten back. In a message to residents, he said LCC’s version is “simply not true”.
He said: “Reform members at Lancashire County Council have suggested Rossendale Council pushed LCC out. That is simply not true. LCC have since admitted it was their decision to leave, claiming it will save them money and improve services by running our gritting from Burnley – ten miles away!
“Anyone who has tried to get over Deerplay in winter as I have, or down Burnley Road into Rawtenstall during a snowstorm, knows how quickly those roads turn dangerous. Suggesting gritters travelling from Burnley will get here faster or provide a better service defies local experience.
“We recognise the concern this raises, especially for those who rely on safe journeys to work in health and social care. The official explanation is that the retaining grit bay walls at Futures Park need significant repairs, in my view due to historic and current underinvestment in the site, but whatever the reason, Rossendale residents are losing our local base – and that raises real doubts about service quality and road safety over winter. As our residents know this valley faces very different weather patterns to Burnley, and we need gritting that reflects those local conditions, we urge our Reform Lancashire County Councillors to further consider the impacts their decisions could have on Rossendale communities.”
Reassurance message
Councillor Warren Goldsworthy, cabinet member for Highways and Transport, Lancashire County Council, said: “We understand that the potential closure of the gritting depot in Bacup has raised concerns locally, and we want to provide clarity around the reasons for this proposal.
"The depot is held on a lease from Rossendale Borough Council and requires significant investment to remain operational. Following an internal review we approached Rossendale Borough Council about relinquishing the lease. Following those talks, the borough council requested the site back. "As a result, we are currently considering relocating operations to our Burnley site at Widow Hill Road and are consulting with staff who may be affected by this change.
“We want to reassure residents that the Burnley depot is well placed to serve this part of the county. It offers better facilities, greater resilience for winter maintenance, and represents better value for money – helping us deliver a more efficient and reliable service.”