A new mobile road salting spreader is to be introduced in Burnham and Highbridge, along with extra grit bins, in a bid to reduce the impact of heavy snowfall causing disruption in the two towns in future.

Following the pre-Christmas extreme weather, the Town Council has this month held two meetings with officers from Sedgemoor District Council and Somerset County Council to try and improve the two towns’ readiness.

Those present at the meetings recognised that it was important to make the best use of limited resources.

The Town Council has decided to press Somerset County Council to add more roads in Burnham and Highbridge to its salting network after several key roads were untreated during December’s heavy snowfall.

Sedgemoor District Council, assisted by a small amount of funding from Burnham and Highbridge Town Council, is intending to purchase a mobile salt spreader for use on the main routes in Burnham and Highbridge.

The Town Council will also be providing four additional salt/grit bins, making eight in total, in an effort to help both residents and traders to help themselves by sweeping away snow and salting the pavements. These, subject to the agreement of the Highways Authority, will be located at Victoria Street in Burnham (near the Post Office), near the junction of the High Street and Cross Street in Burnham, at the junction of Abingdon Street/High Street, Stoddens Road, Pepperall Road in Highbridge (by the entrance to the doctor’s surgery), Market Street in Highbridge, Morland Road in Highbridge (near the junction with the Burnham Road) and Church Street in Highbridge (by the junction with Grange Avenue).

The Town Council staff in Jaycroft Road will also liaise with the Burnham depot supervisor to make the best use of available manpower during extreme weather conditions to sweep away snow from as many strategic locations as possible to enable residents at the very least access to car parks and shops.

Town Clerk Eileen Shaw told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “The town council recognises the difficulties faced by traders and residents alike during the pre-Christmas bad weather and has endeavoured to find better ways of working with other authorities to support our towns.”

“Householders and traders should not be discouraged from acting as good citizens in clearing snow from pavements in front of their businesses and homes because of fears as to what their legal liability might be. If people use common sense and take reasonable care to see that they do not create a new and worse risk, they should have nothing to be afraid of. The only person at risk is someone who does things so badly that they are worse than when they started.”

Residents are asked to contact the Town Clerk’s office (01278 788088) to report any areas of concern.

 
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