Row continues at council over gritting of deputy leader’s drive

Feb 8 2010 by David Norbury, Chester Chronicle

THE heated row over the inadvertent gritting of a top politician's private drive has led to a distinctly chilly fall out.

The issue arose when a driver employed by Cheshire West and Council's highways maintenance contractor Bam Nuttall, part of a top European construction group, “made a simple mistake” and gritted the access to the Helsby home of the council's deputy leader, Cllr Les Ford (Con, Frodsham and Helsby).

Local people complained that other nearby roads had not been gritted but a formal investigation by the council's chief executive, Steve Robinson, called by council leader Cllr Mike Jones (Con, Broxton) “clearly demonstrated that a driver made a simple mistake”, according to Cllr Jones.

The issue flared up at a meeting of the full council when senior Labour figure Cllr Tony Sherlock (Grange and Rossmore) put forward a question.

He told the council's environment portfolio holder Cllr Neil Ritchie (Con, Broxton): “I believe it to be in the public interest that the controversy concerning the gritting of Cllr Ford's private road be cleared up at this council meeting.”

Cllr Jones suggested that Labour leader Cllr Derek Bateman (Central and Westminster) had “looked into this in great detail”.

“He is also aware that I requested the chief executive to carry out a formal investigation, the results of which clearly demonstrated that a driver made a simple mistake and this is supported by the evidence available.

“It is utterly despicable and defamatory to suggest anything else,” believed Cllr Jones.

The outcome of the investigation had been published and widely circulated, said Cllr Jones and the contractor had written a letter of apology to Cllr Ford for the embarrassment the error had caused him.

Outside the meeting, Cllr Bateman claimed that Cllr Jones was using “intimidatory” antics to try to stop open debate.