Last week (8 February) local MP Robert Largan led a debate in Parliament on the provision of grit bins.
Areas of the High Peak which are covered by parish or town councils have their grit bins provided by the relevant town or parish council.
Neither Glossop nor Buxton has a town council, which means that High Peak Borough Council is the authority responsible for maintaining the towns’ grit bins.
Unfortunately, High Peak Borough Council has so far refused to commit to maintaining additional grit bins this winter, leaving both Glossop and Buxton at an unsafe disadvantage compared to the rest of the High Peak constituency.
Hundreds of High Peak residents have signed Robert’s long-running petition to urge Derbyshire County Council and High Peak Borough Council to get round the table, resolve this simple issue, and install additional grit bins in Glossop and Buxton to keep safe pedestrians and motorists alike.
During the debate in Westminster Hall, Mr Largan shared the stories of several constituents who have been affected by both councils’ inaction:
“On Scotty Brook Crescent in Shirebrook, a short walk from my Glossop home, local resident Kim Price and local councillor Paul Hardy have been trying in vain for over a year to get a new grit bin installed, but without success. Similarly, on Carr Road in Burbage, local resident Greg Windows has been leading calls for a grit bin on his estate. Greg told me how he and his neighbours live in constant watch for bad weather and are forced to park their cars on the main road at the top of the estate whenever snow is forecast, for fear of being left stranded.
“Back in November, when we had Storm Arwen, an ambulance became stuck in the snow and ice on Victoria Park Road in Fairfield. Local residents were quick to respond and cleared the road with shovels, digging out the ambulance. While this demonstrates the generous community spirit of the people of High Peak, it also highlights the failure of the local councils to engage constructively with each other to deliver an essential service.”
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Neil O’Brien MP, responded:
“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for High Peak for bringing such an important topic to the attention of the House. He is a fantastic advocate for the people of High Peak. […] It is an area of outstanding natural beauty, with fantastic communities, but not one where anyone would want to be stuck on an ungritted road with a steep slope.
“[…] I was haunted by the image in his speech of the ambulance stuck in the snow, which is exactly what we all fear.”
Mr Largan called on the Government to consider whether legislative changes were needed to clear up the ambiguity of responsibility for utilities, such as grit bins, in two-tier authorities.
In addition, Mr Largan urged the Government to consider placing a duty of care on building developers to include basic amenities like grit bins in new housing developments.
Other contributors to the debate included, Sara Britcliffe MP, Fiona Bruce MP, Richard Holden MP, and the Rt Hon Jim Shannon MP.
Robert Largan, MP for High Peak, commented:
“The failure to resolve this dispute and provide more grit bins this winter will have a long-term cost measured in broken hips - at a time when the NHS is already under pressure with the backlog of procedures caused by the pandemic.
“Hundreds of local people have signed my petition urging Derbyshire County Council and High Peak Borough Council to get around the table and get on with installing new grit bins instead.
“It’s high time the councils stop the finger pointing and resolve this petty dispute. The people of Glossop, Buxton, Hadfield, Padfield and Gamesley deserve better than this!”
Mr Largan’s petition on grit bins can signed online at robertlargan.co.uk/gritbins.