WE only expect as rate and tax payers a proper co-ordinated plan to ensure that the travelling public of Burnley can go about their daily business.

What we actually get is an ad-hoc attempt cobbled together at the 11th hour when the council’s officers realise that their “fingers crossed we don’t get too bad a weather forecast” plan is derailed due to six inches of snow.

To talk in September of not having sufficient stocks of salt/ grit to meet a bad winter is inexcusable.

Why are not stocks built up over the year? Is it just that the council’s accountants don’t want stock (money) sat there just in case?

The saving of money by only gritting major/hazardous routes is flawed in many ways.

The result of not gritting means thousands of people get to work late or not at all, thus causing loss to their employers.

The costs of increased accidents are borne by the NHS.

It would be possible to reduce the effect of this if only the number of grit bins were increased and, better still, if they were actually re-filled.

I live alongside a very steep hill just off a gritted bus route.

From the top of the hill to the bottom, one-third of a mile, are two very small grit bins containing currently no grit at all.

If there was a proper contingency plan, there would be at least six of these already filled in anticipation of another bad winter.

I would suggest that if the council officers don’t know how to plan for this, maybe they should allocate some of their budget and study how areas of Europe with real snow tackle the problem.

K Sutcliffe (via email).