Cold comfort

In the third week of the big freeze that brought a white Christmas, but blighted the holiday period and hampered the return this week to work and school, representatives acknowledged that constituents are fed up with excuses and are demanding action to clear frozen footpaths and roads in the town, villages and outlying areas.

Consequences of the sub-zero temperatures were clear at the council’s monthly meeting on Monday night, with Mayor Bobby McKee laid low after a serious fall on ice and Carnalbanagh councillor Rachel Rea also unable to make it to Smiley Buildings because country roads had not been gritted.

In their absence, colleagues resolved to seek a meeting with Roads Service in a bid to agree contingency measures to deal with extended periods of severe weather.

They also heard environmental services director Phillip Thompson report that the council had already offered to help, but Roads Service had been unable to provide a “letter of comfort” which would have absolved the local authority of any liability in the event of injury claims.

Criticism of Government’s inability to cope was tempered with understanding of the difficulties facing officials and gritting operatives and councillors heard calls for people to take steps to ensure that neighbours, and the elderly in particular, are not trapped in their homes.

Cllr Roy Craig agreed that Roads Service should do more, but he added: “Let’s be honest and say that people need to be prepared to do a bit of work themselves.”

He urged people with elderly neighbours: “Go and shovel the snow and help them out.”

Ald Roy Beggs agreed. While he sympathised with people in genuine hardship, including farmers unable to feed animals because deliveries could not get through, he added: “There is an attitude today that it is always somebody else’s fault and a bit of good neighbourliness would be helpful.”

Cllr Winston Fulton said he and neighbours took turns to salt the roads in their area.

Inside, we report on the hardship caused by the freeze in town and country.

See pages 4 and 5