Well – it’s time to see if the deluge of complaints after Haringey Council’s (non-)gritting during the last snow have made an impact on London’s worst council!
In the snow before Christmas I emailed (in my Christmas message to my email list – if you would like to be on it let me know) for people to let me know the status of their road – and the result was that people reported (with road name, time and date) 26 Priority 1 roads ungritted; 63 Priority 2 roads ungritted and 50 non-priority roads remained untouched. I am sending the CEO this information.
Yesterday (with snow expected) I emailed Haringey’s Chief Exec to ask that the Council grit the pavements for Priority 1 and 2 roads as well as the roadway – and to beg that a pile of grit or salt be delivered to all the side roads as soon as is possible – as Haringey don’t appear to clear them even when the cold snap is an extended one.
I know that it is a tough job to get everywhere on the first day – but this looks like it is set to last – and if you are in a side road, however clear the main roads are kept, you may not be able to get to one.
So – once again as the snow falls thick and fast – I could trust what Haringey Council tells me … or I could use you to help be my eyes and ears. Please comment below with road name, the ice/snow situation on the road and what if any gritting and clearing it has had. You can also let me know via Twitter (please include @lfeatherstone so I’ll get all the messages appear in my replies list). Photos would be really helpful too – either via Twitter or put a link in your comment. Thanks!
Lynne Featherstone 
Haringey has never gritted or dealt with snow or ice in Springcroft Avenue, Southern Road or the surrounding avenues and roads in East Finchley south of Fortis Green in the entire almost 7 years that I have lived there. This year we have had more snow and ice than I can remember for many years and the lack of even the availability of any grit or salt means that some elderly and disabled people are simply confined to their homes whilst the cold snap continues … not an acceptable situation.
RT @lfeatherstone: New blog: Has Haringey gritted your road? http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2010/01/has-haringey-gritted-your-road.htm
Greyhound Road, Winchelsea Road and Steele Road was not gritted. These 2 roads go down hill causing accidents at the bottom of both hills.
Arcadian Gdns. N22 not gritted. Treacherous and because of only a small incline cars and lorries sliding back. Icy outside doctor’s surgery at corner of Arcadian and the High Road.
Glasslyn Road, a very steep street that runs parallel with Wolsely Road Crouch End.
If it has been gritted its insuffient to allow residents to get their cars moving. Even a gas repairman had to be shoveled out to move away.
The roads and pavements around here (North View Road and Nightingale Road) are really icy. The pavements in Hornsey High Street are thick ice, which is very dangerous for shoppers. We need local gritting bins for residents to use.
After being bounced between Haringey Enterprise and Haringey Council, I finally spoke to a manger in Waste Management on Tuesday who admitted that NO Priority 2 roads whatsoever will be gritted as Haringey has insufficient salt and is “protecting” (sic) its remaining supply.
As a resident of Blake Rd N11 (steep hill, busy cut-through, primary school) I’m intrigued by the apparent inconsistencies in the prioritisation of roads in different parts of the Borough. For example, Wargrave Avenue and Ferndale Road, N15 are both Priority 1 despite being practically level side roads, whilst Blake Road N11, a steeply-inclined through route, is Priority 2. Are Haringey’s customary East/West double standards being applied here?
Claremont Road, Stanhope Gardens and Northwood Road have not been cleared in the recent snowfalls. Claremont Road is particularly steep and many vehicles have run into trouble with the icy conditions. On a positive note it has been rather pleasant not to have the normal flow of traffic along Claremont Road, it is peaceful, but obviously we all need to get on with school runs and getting to work safely, so where is the grit?
Eleanor Close & Arnold Road has not been gritted and is treacherous. We had a supply of grit from our housing association which we were spreading ourselves but this has run out, we have asked for extra supplys or for the Grounds Maintenance Contractor to grit the main entrance which slopes down into the estate but I have received no reply at all.
Emergency Services have also struggled to get into the area, the bins have not been collected since 29th December 09 and the pavements are impassable.
We also had similar problems prior to xmas and I was told by Enterprise that we would be gritted but this did not happen, but yet last February we were gritted twice by Haringey Council!
Crouch Hall Road remains ungritted, and the pensioners and others continue to skid merrily down the road. Given that all main roads now remain clear, a bit of scraping of the pavements here would be nice, and surely possible?
On a related note, the Post Office seems to have abandoned the idea of all deliveries here. So Royal Mail thinks it’s too dangerous for their postmen, but the Council doesn’t think it’s worth clearing for the populace. Hmm.
Perhaps Priority 1 + 2 roads in Hornsey and Crouch End can’t be gritted because all the grit goes to Tottenham? I worked in Tottenham for many years and found even side roads used to be gritted whilst my estate (Campsbourne) and area Hornsey High Street etc was never gritted. Why does Haringey give priority to Tottenham over the rest of teh borough?
Stanhope Gardens, N6
I think it is totally disgusting that Haringey Council have failed to grit the roads and that they are so icy and slippery especially as the roads are hilly.
I have noticed on their site that they say garbage is not being collected because it is too dangerous for the rubbish bin men. I have to go to work daily to pay council taxes which pays the councillors and the rubbish bin men and the men who grit the roads and I cannot tell my boss it is too dangerous for me to come to work.
Because of the cold weather I have additional expenses with regards to clothing and extra high heating bills.
I would be better off claiming benefits and staying home until nature clears the weather.
I am hoping that the Government who are all nice and warm and travel safely will give a refund of council taxes straight across the board because the money collected is equivalent to BANK CHARGES Maybe this year they will stop spending money on patching and repatching roads and start buying grit for the next winter. Guess the next thing they will be saying is that they need more money to repair the roads because of damage caused by the extremely harsh winter. They have damaged the roads themselves
I would like to see the Haringey people form a group to state that we will all refuse to pay one month’s council tax and refuse any increases they are planning.
We are not a third world country or are we???????????/
Will anyone in politics ever look after the ordinary people who keeps this country turning and not the RICH
Tudor close and Langdon park road N6 still not gritted causing a serious health and safety issue.
When is our requests going to be responded too ridiculous state of affairs needs addressing immediately.