U-turn over gritting cuts after huge public backlash

Cuts to the number of roads gritted during cold weather in West Sussex have been reversed in the face of huge public pressure.
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The Tory-led West Sussex County Council decided to reduce the percentage of the network it salts from 41 to 31 per cent this year in an effort to save around £150,000 per annum.

But when this newspaper and its sister titles revealed the exact roads which would no longer be gritted it prompted a huge public backlash.

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Even Conservative backbench county councillors said they were ‘horrified’ by what was being proposed.

It appears public pressure has succeeded as the county council has now confirmed the former gritting routes will be reinstated this winter.

A county council spokesman said: “The cabinet member for highways and infrastructure has asked officers to ensure that sufficient gritting equipment is available to reinstate the former gritting routes during this winter.

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“That has been confirmed. We are now looking to restore the gritting programme to previous levels. It will happen as soon as practicable.”

Details for individual areas can be found here:

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