Filling the grit bins on Kensey Valley Meadow

This morning I stepped in to fill the gap in new grit bins at Kensey Valley Meadow after the developer left them less than a third full.

Kensey Valley Meadow residents have really suffered with the ice and snow over the last two years. The hill out of the development means that even a small amount of cold weather can trap people in their homes.

With the road deemed too minor for Cornwall Highways to grit and no grit bins, residents have had no chance to escape once the ice or snow hits. As a result, many people had to miss work and cancel trips from relatives because they could not get out or in. One resident told me that it was like cancelling Christmas.

After two years of claiming that they had no responsibility, the developer, Elan Homes, agreed to provide grit bins this year and promised to fill them. But five of the six were only a third full and the last contained nothing but an empty bucket. I didn't think it was right to put local residents in jeopardy again and so I have paid for all six to be filled to the brim out of my highways budget. The photos show how Elan Homes left one grit bin less than a third full and how full it was after we had finished.

The people of Kensey Valley Meadow have had to put up with delay after delay in the adoption of their roads. The last thing they needed was another winter worrying what would happen if it snowed. Now the grit bins are all full and the Residents Association is in place to co-ordinate gritting the roads and pavements if the ice does come.

The photo at the top shows Residents Association Chair John Belsey (standing on the right) and Vice Chair Mike Childs (on the lorry) with me filling up one of the grit bins on the estate.

Tweet