SERIOUS concerns have been raised over the council’s decision to cut the number of roads to be gritted this winter.

Residents in Lower Stratton and Coleview have slammed the plans as irresponsible, pointing out that schoolchildren and the elderly could be put at risk.

Barrie Jennings, a Stratton St Margaret parish councillor, broke the news to residents in his regular newsletter, prompting a flurry of emails in response.

“I raised the gritting issue and I’ve had quite a few people respond to it,” said Coun Jennings. “Most of them feel it’s irresponsible to withdraw the gritting – these are not main roads but they are busy local roads. Some of them are on the 23 bus route and on the school run. There are normally cars parked on both sides too so the roads become a bit of a chicane. You’ve got people dropping off children, you could have kids crossing the road or walking out from behind cars.”

One resident who got in touch said that the presence of a school on the bend at Towcester Road made it “a crash waiting to happen”. They said: “If we get a bad winter with any snow and ice I can see this is going to be a disaster.”

Another said they found the decision “very worrying”.

A third resident pointed out that Casson Road and Bunce Road – both on the list of routes that will no longer be gritted – were home to those in assisted living housing.

They said they were concerned that the elderly and those with disabilities might be put at risk. in the event of poor weather before adding: “We pay council tax and it feels that we are getting very little for our money.”

Coun Jennings has contacted Swindon Borough Council to raise these his concerns and those of his residents directly.

He said: “They told me that the decision isn’t going to change. They said they would look at it again next year if there were any incidents. But if you’ve got a child in hospital because they’ve been hit by a car on one of these roads then that’s too late.

“Obviously this is all part of the cost saving, but they’re not going to save a lot of money and potentially it’s an accident waiting to happen.”

A spokesman for Swindon Borough Council said: “The new gritting route still covers all A roads and all but two B roads in the borough. It makes the gritting runs two hours shorter, improving our response times in a cold snap and making the service much more efficient.

“The review of all our gritting routes this year has been carried out to ensure that we can complete our treatments within the three hours which has been adopted as the standard for all Highway Authorities in the South West. In order to achieve this it has been necessary to remove some estate roads, such as those in Stratton St Margaret, so we can focus on the major roads in the borough.

“The roads in question would not be gritted under current guidelines for a new estate and were only gritted in recent years based on historic bus routes which no longer frequently use the roads.”

IN a bid to cut costs, the council will no longer grit either all or part of the following roads:

Highworth and Blunsdon: Blunsdon Hill Road, C114 Castle Eaton, Castle Eaton Bridge Road, B4000 Shrivenham Road, Watchfield Road.

Central: Gold View, Juno Way, Luggershall Road, Sword Gardens.

Chiseldon and Lawn: Broome Manor Lane, Hodson Lane, Sandringham Road.

Covingham and Dorcan: Sywell Road, Towcester Road, Faraday Road.

Eastcott: Belle Vue Road, Clifton Street, Radnor Street, Union Row, Wood Street, Beaumaris Road.

Gorse Hill and Pinehurst: Ferndale Road, Bramble Road, Chapel Street (W), Dunbeath Road, Elgin Drive, Kembrey Street, Beech Avenue, Limes Avenue, Dores Road, Headlands Grove, Wheeler Avenue.

Haydon Wick: Blunsdon Road, Bryony Way, High Street, The Brow.

Liden, Eldene and Park South: Shaftesbury Avenue, Whitbourne Avenue.

Lydiard and Freshbrook: Frankland Road, Grange Park Way, Hilton Hotel Access, Idovers Drive, Ramsden Road, Rowton Heath Way.

Mannington and Western: Bruce Street, Groves Street, Hughes Street, Jennings Street, Kendrick Ind Est, Montague Street, Morrison Street, Redcliffe Street, Bodiam Drive, Idovers Drive, Stonehill Green, The Chesters, Welton Road, Westlea Drive, Westmead Drive.

Old Town: Tismeads Crescent.

Penhill and Upper Stratton: Grafton Road, Ramsbury Avenue, Arkwright Road, Crompton Road, Hargreaves Road, Duchess Way, Green Road, Queensfield, St Phillips Road.

Ridgeway: Bourton Road, Hatchet Hill, Body Horse Hill, C3 The Ridgeway, The Street, Avenell Road, Magdelen Road, The Beanlands, Three Sisters Road.

Rodbourne Cheney: Ferndale Road, Beech Avenue.

Shaw: Hillmead Drive, Langstone Way, Rivermead Drive, Westmead Drive, Peatmoor Way.

St Andrews: Eastbury Way, Hugo Drive, Lady Lane, Latham Road, Pennine Way, Thresher Drive.

St Margaret and South Marston: Nythe Road, Bunce Road, Casson Road, Delamere Drive, Gifford Road, Godwin Road, Marshfield Way.

Town Centre: Deacon Street, William Street.

Walcot and Park North: Burford Avenue, Cumberland Road, Courtenay Road, Drakes Way Slip Road, Frobisher Drive, Honiton Road, Marlowe Avenue, Raleigh Avenue, Shaftesbury Avenue, Welcombe Avenue, Whitbourne Avenue.

Wroughton and Wichelstowe: Mill Lane, Beaufort Road, Boness Road, Dunbar Road, Elcombe (circle triangle), Inverary Road, Kerrs Way, Overtown Hill, Perry’s Lane.