The scene on Oaks Road in the Addington Hills on Saturday evening. Thanks to our loyal reader for contributing the picture from the scene
Further to our post yesterday, asking for your reports on the state of your street or road in Croydon, we reproduce here the statement of service for winter road gritting from the council’s own website in respect of the clearing of pavements:
“If the forecast indicates prolonged bad weather then street cleansing and grounds maintenance staff from parks will be called upon to help with manual snow clearance and salting of the pavements.
“This will be done on a preventative basis for priority areas such as town centres and around stations.”
As previously reported, there was no evidence of this sort of work taking place whatsoever on George Street and around East Croydon Station on Friday as the first of the snow fell.
With further snow falling overnight and into this morning, the prospect of Monday morning’s rush hour is becoming a matter of concern. This morning, the main roads appear to be operating well, but pedestrians walking around West Croydon and the town centre suggest that very little grit has been applied to pavements in these “priority areas”.
We’re still keen to hear whether YOU have seen any evidence that executives at Croydon Council have authorised work to be carried out on the boroughs roads and pavements today. Email us here: inside.croydon@btinternet.com
In the meantime, we’re just going out. We may be some time…
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A very “mild” post.
There is a lot of hardship around and it will possibly increase in the days ahead.
I wonder if the people rating this post with just one star are compos mentis or in Croydon?
Roads and pavements in Shirley are treacherous for the average elderly resident.
I hate the snow and long for my Mediterranean home.
However, tomorrow I will go out and buy essential foods for a few housebound people.
On foot because it is too dangerous to drive around Spring Park.
We are well aware that at least one member of staff in Croydon Council’s “communications department” (are they subject to the trades description act?) is signed up to receive alerts when new content is posted, and sees it as their publicly funded mission to down-rate the articles.
Pity they don’t bother responding with official comments on the council’s incompetence.
And you don’t need to be “elderly” for the conditions underfoot to be regarded as treacherous. Our report on conditions today was based, in part, on the account from a teenager.
On Thursday, the Hammerfieild £1 billion deal for the town centre was announced. You might think that the pedestrian area between the Whitgift Centre and Centrale was a “priority”. Not for Croydon Counci, which has failed to grit the pedestrianised area since Friday.
But hey: if between the council, Croydon BID and the Glee Club they put up enough posters proclaiming we all live in Shangri La, maybe someone might believe them.
I went from Coulsdon to the Mayday and back this afternoon, out via the Purley Way, back via the Mitcham and Brighton Roads. The Purley Way wasn’t too bad, a bit slushy on the exposed stretch down to the Aerodrome Hotel but otherwise perfectly safe. The run back was far dodgier as far as Purley, a lot of slush about and danger of sliding around. That the A23 is TFL’s responsibility rather than the borough’s may not be coincidental. I spotted a tweet go by this morning telling us that all nine of the councils gritters were out and about. I only saw one while I was out and about on the main trunk routes through the borough, but that may be down to luck.
As for the pavements: I stopped in Purley for something and the pavements were dreadful. But Coulsdon isn’t too bad. Someone dumped some heaps of grit around yesterday and left people to sort it out themselves by the looks of things and it remains fairly safe in the town centre.
Finally I should mention the Mayday. It had been well gritted on Friday and the car park was exemplary yesterday. Clearly weekends are different, it was a disgrace today and will be a nightmare in the morning if it freezes over. At least if anyone falls over they haven’t far to got to get fixed up.