Teams praised for efforts as Beast struck

When Britain threatened to come to a grinding halt last week, teams of council employees were pulling out all the stops to ensure it didn't.
Wakefield Council's Coun Matthew Morley (right) with a team of gritters.Wakefield Council's Coun Matthew Morley (right) with a team of gritters.
Wakefield Council's Coun Matthew Morley (right) with a team of gritters.

Schools and roads were left under a blanket of snow and made many think twice about heading out to work.

Yet Wakefield Council’s gritting teams somehow managed to keep traffic moving, while bin collections continued through the most arduous of conditions.

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With people often quick to criticise the council services, many took to social media to praise their efforts.

Coun Matthew Morley, cabinet member for transportation and highways said: “We’ve had some fantastic feedback to our response to the severe winter weather.

“Teams from highways and streetscene worked round the clock gritting and ploughing the roads, filling grit bins, clearing snow from city and town centre precincts and clearing routes to essential community services, including care homes and GPs’ surgeries. We know how important it is for people to still be able to access vital support services and this will always be a key priority for us.

“We also needed to work hard to help keep our own services running, like social care support, crematoriums and burials, and bins collections.”