Snowbound councils offered grants to help clear roads

There have been many complaints about the ice-bound state of roads off the main network in the East Riding.

Eight organisations applied for funding within hours of East Riding Council announcing that 175,000 was available to help cope with the extreme conditions.

Council leader Stephen Parnaby said it had to prioritise its resources on the main road network to keep the region moving.

He said: "The workforce is at full stretch with the gritting service working around the clock and with every effort being made to protect vulnerable people who are a priority.

"The new scheme has been introduced to support town and parish councils to undertake work in their localities which we do not have the capacity to do ourselves at the present time."

The move was welcomed by parish councils who have employed diggers to clear snow from the streets within their villages.

Coun Paul Robinson said: "This funding is most welcome, and parish councils such as Gilberdyke and North Cave, who have already been proactive in employing local contractors and farmers to clear the snow from their communities, will hopefully be recompensed for some of the expenditure incurred."

Funding is coming from a performance reward grant which was obtained by the council and other Local Strategic Partnership partners for meeting Government targets earlier this year.