Call to extend gritting outside schools after ice slips

Calls have been made to extend council gritting to areas outside schools and other hotspots after a number of accidents were reported in icy conditions around Wrexham today.

Plaid Cymru councillor Marc Jones, who represents the Grosvenor ward, said he and his fellow Plaid Cymru councillors had received a number of calls about slippery pavements and side roads today.

He said: 

"The council has been busy ensuring main roads are open and we're all grateful for that. I know a lot of residents will also have made use of grit bins to clear pavements in their own areas. Today the frozen conditions are making walking on pavements very difficult and some side roads are more like ice rinks.

"Plaid councillors across the borough are getting reports of people slipping and injuring themselves as well as bin lorries being unable to access side roads due to poor conditions. I'm aware that at least one school in Offa is being gritted following a fall by someone taking a child to school. 

"While I'm grateful for the round-the-clock work done by the gritting teams, I've asked the lead member Hugh Jones whether - in these very icy conditions - we can extend the gritting to outside schools and to certain difficult side roads that are on hilly ground. I've also asked for a comprehensive list of grit bins so that people are aware of where they can grit their own pavements. This is a two-way process and we should all work together to make sure everyone is safe."