By Jill Stocks
As Horsforth continues to grapple with the icy conditions one local resident is helping to ease the struggle with his kind-hearted gesture.
Scott Eastwood runs a local waste carrying service Nonstop Rubbish Removals but today he has been out and about gritting streets and paths for people struggling to get out, completely free of charge.
Thanks to Scott residents in various parts of Horsforth and beyond have been able to get out for supplies and appointments. For the past couple of days many people, including vulnerable residents, the elderly and wheelchair users, have been confined to their homes, meaning a very lonely time for some.
Local residents have taken to social media over the past couple of days as conditions deteriorated after the heavy snowfall which came in the early hours of Sunday morning. Many have expressed their disappointment at the lack of gritting on the side roads and the lack of grit in grit bins for residents to access themselves.
Road and path conditions particularly on the side roads have been particularly treacherous and show little sign of improving today.
Temperatures are expected to plummet to minus eight again in the early hours. Residents on the King Edwards, the Brownberries the St James’s and the Regents are just some of those who are commenting on the conditions on their untreated streets. Some even commented that whilst they had seen gritters passing they were not dropping.
Matt Whitlock lives on Broadway. He said: “The weather conditions are out of the control of the council but the gritting routes leave a lot to be desired.
“The laybys on the ring road have not been gritted therefore I’ve been unable to move our cars since Sunday which in turn means I’ve not been able to go to work the last three days. The pathways are also treacherous, so walking my eight year old to school has been challenging.
“It’s ridiculous having to walk to the nearest grit bins which in turn have all been empty and the walk back with buckets of heavy grit where there is some isn’t easy.”
Gillian Moore had this to say: “It’s just not acceptable that all side streets haven’t been touched but everyones in the same boat unless you’re on a main street. I’ve tried for many years to get another grit bin at the end of King Edward Avenue. It’s a busy street for the schools and the doctors.”
Leeds City Council released a cold weather statement this morning. It said: “Gritting teams were out at 4pm Tuesday (7 January) and at 5am Wednesday (8 January) and will continue to be out during the remainder of the cold weather spell. Priority remains on keeping primary routes clear.”
The statement also contained information on bin collections which have been heavily affected by the weather conditions. Residents are advised to leave their bins out for collection until this coming Sunday, 12 January, and that any extra waste will be taken if it is left next to the bin in a securely tied bag. Should they not be collected by then the advice is to take the bins back in.
Leeds City Council also provide Welcome Spaces for people who may be living in cold or socially isolated conditions where they can access a hot drink and a chat. More information from the council on “Winter Wellbeing” is available here.