Extenuating circumstances should qualify Cranagh to Draperstown for gritting - Leonard

While welcoming the secondary gritting of the B47 Cranagh to Draperstown road during this week’s cold snap, Sinn Féin councillor Fergal Leonard says that extenuating circumstances should qualify the route for the Primary Gritting Network Schedule.

Cllr Leonard said: “I wish to thank the DFI Roads Service for responding to representations from local MLAs Declan McAleer, Emma Sheerin and myself to grit and make this vital route between counties Tyrone and Derry passable during this week’s cold snap.

“However, while DFI agreed to grit from the Goles Road to Sixtowns Road on Monday in order to last for a number of days, it qualified its response to us by saying such gritting could only be carried out if ‘deemed possible and necessary to do so’ given that the road still does not have a sufficient volume of traffic to qualify for Primary Gritting Network Schedule.

“Sinn Féin has repeatedly and will continually to make the case for the entire B47 to be included on the schedule given the extenuating circumstances which exist.

“The location and elevation of Cranagh makes it very susceptible to inclement weather conditions and when frost or snow strikes, the area is always badly hit.  

“While Plumbridge may be the closest link to the main gritted network, many local people access their services such as GP's, the shop in Draperstown and many local children go to St Colm's Secondary school in Draperstown.

 “When the B47 route is not gritted it leaves local people completely cut off or alternatively involves a 50 mile round trip from Cranagh to Draperstown via the gritted network to access these vital services.

“The current gritting policy does not take account of such extenuating circumstances and needs to change and this can only be achieved by having a Minister in place to legislate for this -yet another reason why the DUP need to return to the Assembly immediately and work with the rest of us to improve road safety."