Bolton councillor grits roads after emergency appeal

Cllr Abdul Aziz Atcha decided to do something after concerns were raised by people about the icy pavements being too dangerous to walk on.

In response, an emergency fundraising appeal was organised in and around Halliwell, near schools, mosques and other places to protect people when going to and fro.

There has also been calls for other areas to have grit, which can be used to treat pavements as the winter is not yet over.

The councillor said: “In response to the residents’ complaints about the dangerous conditions created by the lack of grit bins in some roads and reduced gritting, I organised an emergency fundraising appeal to buy nine rock salt bags.

“I went out with the Rumworth team to spread the salt where it was needed most around mosques and madrasahs to protect worshippers and pupils walking on slippery pavements and roads.”

Many people have complained of the lack of grit on the roads in Bolton resulting in people either buying their own for their streets or not leaving at all, especially the elderly.

Cllr Linda Thomas recognised the issue in her Halliwell ward.

She said: “It’s so dangerous on residential side roads and pavements when they are insufficiently gritted.

“We know the A&E department at Royal Bolton hospital is overwhelmed, adding people who have fallen on the ice puts even more pressure on the system especially as it is usually the elderly venturing out for their daily shop who are the victims in icy weather.

“Falls for them can be life threatening. Continually having to cut services such as these is a false economy especially when it puts such pressure on other parts of the public sector.

“When will this government acknowledge they have gone too far with cuts to the local government especially when any rise in council tax to compensate for the cuts is hurting many members of our communities at this time of the cost-of-living crisis.”

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A doctor at the Royal Bolton Hospital also expressed her concern at the amount of people being admitted to the hospital from ice fall injuries.

She said: “At this time there are many people falling on the ice and hurting themselves, especially older people.

“It’s not nice to see and I hope something can be done about it to prevent so many A&E admissions.”