PLANS to remove several grit bins from Saddleworth’s streets have been greeted with an angry response from those representing the area.
Oldham Council has said the 32 in the North and South wards will be removed as it looks to save money from its budgets.
In an email seen by Saddleworth Independent, it states: “All departments within Oldham Council have been asked to identify opportunities to save money wherever possible to help the council to meet its future budgeting requirements.
“As a consequence of this, the highway operations team has carried out a review of all grit bins that it funds within the borough, with a view to removing any that are not needed.”
But after several in Saddleworth – including nine being removed in Uppermill with one relocated and four in Grasscroft being taken away – were included on a list, councillors have hit out, saying it will leave an area susceptible to wintry weather unprepared for the consequences.
Saddleworth North Conservative Luke Lancaster said: “When the cold weather sets in, it’s really important they have the grit bin provision and the salt there to clear the road, to get to work, to get to school, to do whatever they need to do.
“They can’t always rely on the grit wagons clearing the roads. They’ll really miss that provision.
“Oldham Council say its because of budgetary requirements but this is the first we’ve heard about it. As elected members, we’ve not been consulted on savings more widely.
“We’ve just been informed that within a month, lots of bins are to be removed. No notice, no resident consultation, no consultation with ward councillors. It’s a very concerning development.
“We were told on e-mail the former cabinet member responsible for this learned in November but it’s only now that us as ward representatives have been told. Why are we only finding out two or three weeks before they’re meant to be taken away?
“Even on the primary routes, they may need gritting up to half a dozen times, whereas the wagon will only go down a road once or twice.
“And getting off small residential streets on to the main road is the hard part.”
Cllr Max Woodvine added: “They used to take the bins away in the summer and out them back when they were needed. When I spoke to a resident, they thought that’s what was happening.
“When I said it was permanent, they couldn’t believe it. I can see what’s going to happen when winter sets in, we’re going to be constantly emailing asking for gritters to go back as they’ve missed bits.
“They’re making more work for themselves.”
Three sponsored grit bins in Greenfield and one in Uppermill are also set to be removed, as are a number in Delph, two in Diggle and one in Denshaw.
It says many lie on a primary gritting route while others are on unadopted or private road. The only one being moved will see it shift from Uppermill’s Church Inn to the actual church.
In stating its case over sponsored bins, Oldham Council claimed the requests to fill ‘fill on request’ bins prove they are not used.
It adds: “As part of the review, it was established that fill-on-request grit bins rarely get filled. Over the previous three winters, highways have received the following numbers of requests to fill on request grit bins – 2022/23 – 5, 2021/22 – 7, 2020/21 – 21.
“It is clear from those figures that the vast majority of fill on request grit bins are not being filled.
“If they are not being filled then they are not being used, as they would not contain any road salt which the residents could use to grit the highway.
“As such these grit bins are occupying space on the highway, but not providing any benefit to the public.”
There is a chance to save any of the bins earmarked for removal as they can be sponsored on a four fills per year basis, which costs £431,96.
But councillors only have until September 1 to review and decide which, if any, they should sponsor from their ward monies.
Saddleworth North Liberal Democrat Cllr Garth Harkness said: “Saddleworth residents rely on grit bins during the winter months and this plan disproportionately affects our villages.
“I am not sure council leaders who live in other areas understand how difficult it can be to get to work on a snowy winter morning.
“They use figures for a mild winter, which is not appropriate. Many residents in Saddleworth need to dig themselves out and they really need more grit bins to service housing areas, not fewer.
“People have to get to the primary gritting routes to use them.
“This is Oldham Council’s cynical attempt to blame local councillors for Labour cuts
by demanding they pay for bins they say are essential.
“They are trying to put more and more things onto local councillors. We have very little funding and it is for things like community projects that matter to residents.
“I, of course, am opposing these cuts. Road safety is not an optional add-on.”
In response to Saddleworth Independent, Oldham Council leader Arooj Shah admitted something had gone awry.
And she insisted ward members will be part of the review, saying: “This grit bin review is a legacy project that has clearly missed some stages of due process as today is the first I’m hearing that councillors are being told the outcome.
“I’ve asked that the emails that have been sent to councillors are retracted, for this situation to be reviewed and that a much wider consultation with ward members takes place as part of the review, including instances where grit bins haven’t been used for a number of years or where a bin isn’t needed because the site is covered as a primary gritting route.
“Oldham Council under my leadership is not in the business of penny pinching for the sake of it, and I can confirm that winter maintenance decisions are not based on saving money, our teams do a fantastic job of keeping our highways safe throughout the winter months for Oldhamers.”
I’d love to know exactly how removal of grit bins frees up funds for future budgeting. How much does maintenance of these bins (if indeed there is any) cost versus paying for their removal (and storage/relocation/destruction?). The financial reasoning doesn’t seem to add up and given the disruption this will undoubtedly cause when we’re hit with snow (which we always are in the hills) this decision can only be interpreted as idiocy bordering on intentional harm to the area and its residents.
More brain dead, “management-itis.” from OMBC, any cost saving will be absolutely trivial and the impact of this policy will be quite disproportionate and as always particularly so those who are most vulnerable..
This another stupid decision that’s been made by people sitting in a warm office somewhere, people who drive everywhere or when they’re not driving, walk around with a smart phone held 6 inches away from their noses.
The grit bins don’t matter at all to most people; until the weather turns bitter and freezing and then suddenly they do.
For anyone who is on afoot in the cold weather, particularly the more elderly and frail pedestrians these bins are indispensable since the gritter only service the roads anyway.
Once again in the pursuance of, “cost savings,” that are only cosmetic anyway all common sense has left the building.
They have removed most of the waste bins in Diggle causing people to stop picking up their dog mess and litter. Now they want to remove grit bins. This is not acceptable
I live in uppermill and regularly grit the junction of station road and merlewood avenue during the winter. There is a grit bin there as the side road slopes down on to station road. Removal of this will cause cars to slide on the ice, like what happened to me in the past. Older drivers use this road and removal of bins would cause issues for residents and users of the cricket club events.
Bad idea just to save a couple of quid, particularly when redodents pay extra on theor council tax.