Mid and East Antrim Council report on ‘priority’ towns and villages for gritting

A report presented to the borough council’s Direct Services Committee on Tuesday evening, indicated that Whitehead, which has a larger population, according to the 2011 census, has been given priority two status. This means that gritting will take place after priority one towns – Carrickfergus, Larne and Ballymena and villages in north Antrim. Footpaths are to be treated after “significant snow or ice”but may also take place if freezing is forecast following heavy rain, the report stated. Clearance will be carried out by either DfI Roads and/or council staff. DfI is required to provide the council with grit or salt free of charge. In Carrickfergus, town centre streets to be salted include North Street, Castle Street, High Street, Antrim Street, Lancasterian Street, Queen Street and Nelson Street. West Street, one of the town centre’s main pedestrian thoroughfares, is not included. in Whitehead, the streets listed for pavement gritting are Alexandra Avenue, Edward Road, Kings Road and Balmoral Avenue. In Larne, footpaths are to be salted at Main Street (from Agnew Street to High Street), Broadway, Point Street, High Street, Cross Street, Murrayfield Link Road, Circular Road Roundabout, Quay Street, Agnew Street and Station Road. Other streets in the towns will be given priority two – Old Glenarm Road, Upper Cairncastle Road, Linn Road and Greenway. There are no priority two areas named in Carrickfergus. Other outlying villages Ballygally, Glenarm, Carnlough, Glynn, Ballycarry and Islandmaee are included in the priority two scheme. In Ballymena town centre, footpaths at Wellington Street, Church Street, Mill Street, Ballymoney Street, Broughshane Street Greenvale Street, Bryan Street, Bridge Street, William Street, Springwell Street, Henry Street, Gilmore Street and Queen Street will be gritted. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council receives the sum of £2,023 for insurance on signing a renewed three year agreement with the Department. Braid DUP Councillor Beth Adger asked if anyone else going out to do this work, like councillors, would be covered by this insurance. Bannside party colleague Alderman Tommy Nicholl asked for gritting to be extended to housing estates in the borough. The council’s Operations Director Philip Thompson explained that staff who are available focus on priority one areas first, then priority two. “It is a timing issue,” he said. In response to councillors’ queries over gritting by others including community groups, he indicated that they would be covered by this insurance. Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter -- Click here to read: £220k to protect A2 Coast Road from rock falls and landslips -- A message from the Editor: Thank you for reading this article. We’re more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers. Please consider purchasing a copy of the paper. You can also support trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription of the News Letter.