Local residents and Sutton Council’s Conservative Opposition have reacted angrily to the ‘post code lottery’ coverage of gritting bins for local streets and neighbourhoods. The Council officially reports that there are 150 grit bins available for a population of over 180,000 residents. This means that there is, on average, only one grit bin for every 1200 residents. To add insult to injury, some areas have only one grit bin available to local residents whereas others have over thirty. 

The recent cold spell has exposed Sutton Council’s weaknesses in winter road maintenance, causing outrage with local taxpayers after poor gritting efforts left many residents stranded in their own homes because roads and pavements turned into untackled ice rinks. Many residents who were willing to grit their own roads – out of necessity - were dismayed to find grit bins either empty or unavailable in their area. 

Google Maps shows that access to gritting bins varies significantly from Ward to Ward. For example, the Carshalton South and Clockhouse Ward is well serviced with 33 gritting bins whereas the Wallington North, Wandle Valley and Nonsuch Wards languish with only one gritting bin each. Conservatives are now calling for an end to Sutton’s ‘post code lottery’ access to grit bins and for better preparation for icy road conditions in the future. 

This is not the first time that the Liberal Democrat-run Council has provoked controversy over its winter highways policies. Last year the ruling Liberal Democrats slashed the winter highways maintenance budget by £20,000 in March only to later spend £16,000 on a state-of-the-art air conditioning system for the Council Leader’s Office in July. 

Councillor Graham Whitham, Conservative Opposition Environment and Transport Spokesman, commented by saying: “Sutton suffers from a postcode lottery when it comes to accessing much-needed grit bins during harsh winter conditions because the Liberal Democrat leadership has failed to get a grip on the situation. It is unacceptable that people pay the same council tax yet receive a better or worse service depending on where they live. 

“The past month has shown how woefully ill-prepared Sutton Council is for icy and snowy conditions. I don’t blame our hardworking gritting teams, I blame the Liberal Democrats for short-sighted cuts to the highways budget, no doubt to keep the Council Leader in comfort in his swanky air-conditioned office.”

6th January 2010