Daventry District roads that are no longer a priority for gritting revealed

Today the Gusher can reveal the routes which are being downgraded – with many near schools, train stations, shops and bus stops.

It’s part of a move to save Northamptonshire County Council £475,000.

But Liberal Democrat leader on the council, Cllr Chris Stanbra (Oakley, Corby), says the move is dicing with the public’s safety.

He said: “I warned that this was not a good idea during the budget-setting process and the Tories chose to go ahead with those cuts.

“Next winter when it gets cold and icy there will be 497 roads which people are used to being gritted that won’t be.

“You can be pretty sure that as a result there will be accidents and as a result there could be injuries.

“Let’s just hope that some of those people do not lose their life.”

All 497 roads are being downgraded from the ‘precautionary’ network to the ‘adverse’ network.

Gritting is undertaken on precautionary routes whenever there is a forecast temperature of 0.5C over a 24-hour forecast period and take priority when it snows.

Roads on the adverse network, which these 497 roads will now be part of, will instead be treated in daytime hours in advance of a high confidence forecast for snow or when temperatures are not forecast to rise above zero for 48 hours. In effect, it means it will have to be much colder for much longer for these roads to be gritted.

Cllr Stanbra said the effects of the cuts would be disproportionate to the amount saved, adding: “What’s one person’s life worth?”

The move has also been criticised by Labour councillor Mick Scrimshaw (Northall, Kettering), chairman of the finance scrutiny committee.

He said: “It’s outrageous because public safety will absolutely be put at risk. We had some bad snow at the end of last year and it caused chaos.

“The public were calling for more gritting and the response from the council is to provide less gritting.”

Cllr Scrimshaw added that the council could cover the cost of its savings by using capital receipts it was planning to spend on transformation projects, which it has now been told it can’t do.

He said that capital can’t be used for gritting but by using it to cover pothole work it would free up money which could.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said the reduction in gritting would return levels to that of 10 years ago.

The spokesman said: “Given the financial challenges faced and a very difficult budget positon, further tough decisions are needed in order to deliver a balanced budget.

“The proposals this winter would see a reduction in the precautionary network from 43 per cent to 32 per cent.

“Before 2008, we gritted around 34 per cent of the network and in 2008, this was increased to 46 per cent.

“These proposals would bring gritting levels in line with those of before 2008.”

One of the roads on the list, Lyveden Way in Corby, has only been gritted since 2009 after a series of complaints because it was initially unadopted.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns at road safety charity Brake, urged against reducing gritting levels.

He said: “It is vital that road safety does not become a casualty of ever-more stretched council budgets. Icy roads are incredibly dangerous and it is crucial that the right precautions are taken.

“We strongly urge against any reduction in road treatment and, with 70 people killed or seriously injured on our roads every day, encourage road safety to be made more of a local investment priority.”

The downgraded Daventry area roads:Newnham Road, BadbyStaverton Road, Badby Bunkers Hill, BadbyMain Street, BadbyThe Green BadbyPinfold Green, Badby

Spratton Road, Brixworth

Main Street, Church Stowe

Christchurch Drive, DaventryBadby Road West, DaventryTyne Road, DaventryThames Road, DaventryStaverton Road, DaventryAshby Road, DaventryClare Avenue, DaventryCowper Road, DaventryHemans Road, DaventryBurns Road, DaventryDaneholme Avenue, DaventryWelton Road, DaventrySt Andrews Drive, Daventry Sunningdale Drive, DaventryThe Fairway, DaventryHillside, DaventryTrafalgar Way, Daventry

Church Lane, East HaddonRavensthorpe Road, East Haddon

The Green, GuilsboroughNortoft, GuilsboroughCoton Road, Guilsborough

New Road, HarlestoneDuston Road, Harlestone

Naseby Road, Haselbech Maidwell Road, Haselbech

Loddington Road, HarringtonHigh Street, HarringtonRothwell Road, Harrington

Moulton Road, Holcot

Long Buckby Road, Long BuckbyMurcott, Long BuckbyWest Street, Long BuckbyKing Street, Long Buckby

Haselbech Road, Maidwell

The Grove, MoultonHolcot Road, Moulton

Haselbech Road, Naseby

Staverton Road, Newnham

Teeton Road, RavensthorpeHigh Street, RavensthorpeEast Haddon Road, RavensthorpeGuilsborough Road, RavensthorpeCoton Road, Ravensthorpe

Brixworth Road, SprattonTeeton Road, Spratton

Badby Lane, Staverton

Nether Heyford Road, Stowe Nine ChurchesMain Street, Stowe Nine ChurchesPreston Capes Road, Stowe Nine ChurchesFarthingstone Road, Stowe Nine Churches

Spratton Road, TeetonRavensthorpe Road, Teeton

Old Road, Walgrave

Long Buckby Road, Watford

Everdon Road, Weedon

Crick Road, West HaddonWest End, West HaddonYelvertoft Road, West HaddonNorthampton Road, West Haddon

Yelvertoft Road, Winwick

Byfield Road, Woodford HalseScrivens Hill, Woodford HalseChurch View, Woodford HalseSchool Street, Woodford HalseStation Road, Woodford HalseHinton Road, Woodford Halse

High Street, Yelvertoft