as i work around sixty five hours a week can i suggest that our county councillors get off their ar–s and do more with this problem.they waste money on that piece of tat at shrewsbury they want to keep the money if returned from iceland [it belongs to bridgnorth taxpayers]the roads before the snow are dire in this county and i drive aruond 1500 miles a week and shropshires roads are probably the worst.i pay more council tax in brignorth compared to other parts of shropshire and what do i get bin emptied once a fortnight police patrols non existant and a fire service that has more chiefs than indians.

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how exactly is going to enforce this law, i live in a street thats mainly filled with retired people so does that mean that they will have to stick a plough to the front of there electric wheel chairs? mind you they will probably do a better job of what the council have of keeping the roads by me clear!

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Does this plan include how to deal with being sued if someone slips on pavement you’ve cleared?

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I run a business from home. I have been told NOT to clear the snow as if anyone then has an accident i am liable!!

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A small observation, don’t the council own the pavements, so I assume the the council will be issuing us with protective clothing, shovels , grit and Insurance to cover liabilty. How many yards has Dr whinchester cleared today, I wonder,

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If bin men can’t be bothered to come and collect our rubbish, why should we bother to clear our pavements?? Get a life Winchester – go and help design some more statues!!

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People used to do this anyway. I remember growing up in a cul-de-sac in Shrewsbury when we had the real bad snow of 1976, everyone cleared the snow together which was great for community spirit and those who were too old or infirm had their path cleared for them by neighbours who looked out for them.
There wasn’t the attitude of “someone needs to do something about this,” we just did it ourselves.

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John Howard beat me to it. My first thought was also “where do you put the cleared snow”? It’s rather like the man who dug a hole, then dug another hole to dispose of the soil, then dug another hole to dispose of the soil… you get the idea.

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You seem to have all missed the fact that it works in Canada and France, but lets all shoot down the idea before we hear all the facts eh?

And god forbid us doing anything for our communities and helping our neighbours!! No, lets just bang on about putting in compensation claims if somebody falls over.

What has happened to people? Selfish and lazy, thats what!!

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ABOUT TIME SOME ONE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA,well done Councillor Dr Maxwell Winchester. i remember as a child living in scotland. which had snow most years, that people cleaned there own pathways.leading to the frount door and the path out side there house,where did we put the snow. on the garden. as for disabled people well they would have to be registered disabled. then they would be excempt from doing it. now some will say but i go to work. hey we have always worked its not a new thing, as for the law stating that people can claim if your path is cleared. well that law is plain stupid and should be revolked at once. remember this is your country. so why are we no taking pride in it

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“I personally think it’s just good manners and don’t think it takes that long to clear the pavement outside the house.” – I agree – but then older people, disabled people etc etc etc may need someone to help them do this – and will we then have to buy our own grit to clear the ice!? we make sure our path is clear outside our house at the moment during this icy period – for our own walking but then it helps people passing by also – if everyone did a little bit outside the places they use – then the whole town would eb ice free! surely this is a good thing!? why dont people clear outside their houses etc anyways – do they like slipping over!?

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Great idea! In fact, if Dr Maxwell Winchester would be so kind as to come and push my wheelchair up the path so I can get out of my house, I’d be more than happy to clear the path! Oh hang on… I forgot, I can’t walk therefore cannot do this…so what next smartypants?

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This a great idea and initiative from the councillor. Public purses are not bottomless, and I’m sure you would all be complaining if council tax went up to pay for snow being cleared on the pavement. It works perfectly well in other countries. About time we got some community spirit back! Quit moaning and get stuck in.

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It is case law here in the UK that if you clear the snow then you have by implication made safe the area. If someone then slips on that snow then you are liable to be sued.
Now whether that is fair or not is not what I am saying. That is what the law is. Not what we would like it to be. What it is!!!!!
I doubt that this councillor has really thought this one through. He must be looking to be re elected in some way and is giving out soundbites of popular but unworkable ideas. The other comments on this site have also come up with many sensible reasons why this cannot work either. I suspect that if it were to be made law then the council would have the opportunity to penalie those who could not, did not or would not clear their snow by charging some extortionate rate for their workment to go and do the job. Then they would back up their claim by taking people through the court system. Why do I suspect this? Because people in councils now see themselves as Authorities and once put into the position of serving the people who elected them they then set about ruling them.

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Surely it’s fast approaching the time where we say enough. Would the council like us to tarmac the roads for them too?! We pay more and more in tax yet get less and less service. As several people have already said, I have always been told you shouldn’t clear the snow from outside your house as you will be liable if someone gets hurt. Is it really ideal for councillors to be so incapable of thinking of the bigger picture as obviously not everyone is physically capable of clearing snow.

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Agree a great idea, probably needs some refinement to cover the elderly, disabled etc. I am old enough to remember the winter of 1963, when people did clear the path in front of their house and shop, councils didn’t grit paths then, my parents and neighbours went out and cleared the snow away.

One refinement could be that if you cleared the snow you would not be held liable if some someone subsequently slipped over.

Yes it works in Canada, also need to note that cars are not permitted to be parked on roads during winter to allow snow ploughs and gritters free access to clear roads. If left on road can be towed away at your cost.

To Suzanne are you advocatint that every road and pavement in T&W should be gritted, are you prepared to pay a substanial increase in Council Tax to cover the extra cost of grit & salt, additional manpower and vehicles for a once in 30 year event.

The Gritting staff and T&W have done an excellent job in keeping main routes open during this period

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so many excuses from folk not prepared to do a little bit for their friends, family or neighbours, lazy lazy lazy people who want someone to blame so they don’t have to do a little bit of graft for themselves or others who can’t help themselves.
what a shame this country has developed a blame culture which will just be passed down to our children..

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All this stuff about not clearing snow in case you get sued is frankly a load of old rubbish. If anyone could point me in the direction of a reputable source that shows this has actually ever happened, then I’ll eat my snowman’s hat. If you were to do something stupid like pour hot water over snow/ice to melt it, which then subsequently froze, then you could rightly be open to legal action. Otherwise, you can happily clear it.

For the benefit of Dave in Bridlington, do please enlighten me with the HSE document that says this. All I could see on their website was advice on “setting up systems for clearing and gritting of paths and surfaces”. Hardly a stark warning against such actions.

Many faults the council do have, but they can’t do everything clearly. If they can’t get into your estate to clear the roads and paths, why not do it yourselves? And no, you won’t get sued.

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That is exactly why my local’s landlord cannot clear the pavement in front of the entrance – he has been informed that he then becomes liable if someone slips and injures themselves.

It’s not selfish and lazy – it’s the self preservation required by all businesses due to some people seeking (successfully) false compensation claims. People who are helpful are then sued by unscrupulous others so can you blame people for wanting to protect themselves against frivilous lawsuits amounting to thousands of pounds?

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In Boston USA a few years ago they had a foot of snow overnight and said it was a regular thing. I looked out of the hotel window and there working away were a load of guys clearing all the paths with snow blowers.This happened the full 10 days we were there. Learn from the street workers of Boston USA how to keep paths clear.

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Whilst citizens in France & Canada do the work themselves it is probably because they don`t already pay the authorities to do it as is the case in the UK , I was once informed by a continental resident that their annual equivalent to council tax amounted to somewhat less than a month of my own so there is reasaonable excuse over there which does not exist here.

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i thin community action is a good idea, it helps keep council tax levels down and its goof for people, i’d gladly do mine but agree, needs to be idemnified to stop the health and safety people suing me if i do it wrong

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Charlotte Brindley said:
I cannot believe that the can suggest this – What on earth do we pay our council tax for.

Housing services
Education (parts of it)
Trading Standards
Environmental Health
Rubbish Collection
Recycling
Social Services
Care for the Elderly
Planning
Traffic Management
Pollution Control
Parks & Open spaces
Pest Control
Benefit advice services
Emergency Planning
Registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages
Crematoria
Taxi Licensing
Business support and advice
Regeneration
Fire & Rescue Services
Police
Carers support

and a raft of other services too numerous to mention. That is what you pay your council tax for.

Consider this a service as you obviously didn’t bother yourself to find out before making a comment like that. Still that’s usually the knee jerk response if the bins aren’t emptied – that’s all I get from my council tax.

No – don’t mention it.

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Nice idea in concept – but there is a liability issue if you attempt to clear snow and ice and someone falls or trips!

Also, why should the public and businesses be responsible for clearing snow and ice off pavements which is not within their property boundary!

And would love to see the frail, blind, disabled and infirm clearing snow and ice from in front of their property too!!! How practical is that!

What next, resident’s responsible for snow clearing on roads that go untreaded as they don’t fall on the gritting routes. Well it is one way the council can consider to make the £7.1 million savings it seeks.

If bin men won’t empty bins because of snow and ice on the road, because of health and safety rules. Then why should we clear it …..

Ill concieved idea. Upside down thinking from a kiwi.

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Where in the HSE document does it say you wont get sued or should we just take you word for it?

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you’ll be expecting the council to cut your grass next..

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Bemused @ 46

Since I only make use of 2 of the services on your list should I get a council tax rebate?

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Crematoria & Regeneration perhaps ?

Suellan Fowler alias Dr Who! :)

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For all you legal experts who think you may be taken to court for clearing your path please read this:-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/jan/09/questions-big-freeze-consumer-rights

I don’t know how to make a link, but copy and paste into your browser.

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Does this joker live in the real world? what about empty properties, disabled owners how do they cope, Maybe if councillors did not claim over inflated expenses there may be some more money left to pay for snow clearence. Get a life and live in the real world. Dr Winchester.

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I myself am registered disabled with serious heart problems, so is my wife. My left side neighbour is a fit young man with a young fit wife. My right side neighbour is a pensioner with advanced cancer and a wife far from well. Next to them is a couple who are rarely at home spending their retirement travelling the world. Opposite to them is a disabled, divorced, single man. Next to him is a disabled widow just had a hip replacement. The total pavement length outside these five houses is some 200 yards. – Sorry, can’t go on I am just popping next door to ask the fit young man if he will clear the snow away from outside all the other 5 peoples houses.
I almost got into great trouble this morning clearing the snow from around my car on my drive – I won’t attempt that again.
This Councillor is a very silly man and this totally mad idea say’s little for his Doctorate. But it probably accounts for him being a Councillor.

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For the £100+ council tax i pay per month i expect a councillor to come out with a shovel and clear my pavement for me instead of my money going towards their ” expenses “.

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RIDICULOUS!
I remember my Grandad use to go out on an icy day, walk to the end of the road where the grit box used to be and would then grit all the paths for each of the residents. They shouldn’t of removed these bins in the first place!!!!!

I certainly dont’t want this by-law passed. I don’t want to be responsible for the clerance/maintenance of public highways and in turn, the responsibility of other residents safety on the footpath that lies adjacent to my property!

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I’d be happy to remove the snow, if Health & Safety hadn’t gone mad!

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