I WOULD Iike to clarify the position with regard to winter gritting operations.

The council's emergency control room does receive regular reports from the Meteorological Office regarding the weather and, despite the fact that there is no legal responsibility to grit the roads, we do have gritting teams on stand-by from November to March each year.

In total, there are six gritters on stand-by together with support staff, made up primarily of volunteer drivers from within the council's services. Priority is given to the principal roads and bus routes in the borough and we respond to the police and other emergency services. We respond, thereafter, to help residents on side roads, subject to resource availability. Grit bins are also provided in certain locations for the use of residents. The control room was made aware of the snowfall for the early hours of Saturday, Dec 29, and the gritters were operational from 4am. They were operational again from 10am until 4pm regritting areas in the north of the borough, responding to specific requests, and attending to some side routes and car parks. Full operational gritting recommenced from 6.30pm throughout the evening and night, covering all major routes.

The quote in the Bury Times on Jan 1 about not being made aware of any major problems at the time or since, referred to contact with the police and emergency services. We did not deny there were major problems. Clearly, there were difficulties in the north of the borough on the Saturday, caused by the severe weather.

I would like to point out that, despite gritting, it is still possible to get treacherous conditions on the roads and I can assure your readers that we do our utmost to minimise difficulties and keep the main roads free of ice and snow. I would like to thank the operatives who worked so hard over the festive period during very difficult conditions.

COUNCILLOR JULIE HIGSON,

executive member,

ennvironment and transport.