More grit needed for cold snaps, say councillors

More grit is needed in Brighton and Hove when the weather turns cold, say councillors.

Extra sites for grit bins and grit drops have been called for after snow showers in January saw numerous incidents on the roads and complaints from residents.

Some people reported that existing grit bins across the district had been filled with litter, making them hard to use.

Brighton & Hove City Council has previously apologised for the "difficulties" people had to face.

In a motion due to go before the full council on Thursday, Green councillor Raphael Hill and Independent Mark Earthey said the council needed to do better, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

They added that gritting priority shouldn't just be given to main roads and bus routes, and asked for traffic light phasing at key junctions to be altered to deal with changing traffic patterns during snowfall.

The pair also want councillors to note the difficulty experienced by people walking on ungritted pavements and the effect of the changing climate, which is resulting in more extreme weather events.

In addition, their motion asks officers to seek resident feedback via a consultation about how the council dealt with the recent heavy snowfall.

Councillors are also asked to thank people in the community who came out to help others during the snow, particularly farmers who rescued trapped cars in Woodingdean.

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