A reversal of one of last winter's controversial grit route cuts in Macclesfield has been confirmed.

Brook Street will now have a full service of gritting for Winter 2022-23, despite being one of the 200 routes cut from last winter's Cheshire East Highways gritting programme.

Brook Street businesses and residents consider themselves lucky, as only one other road in Cheshire East has been reinstated thus far. (Coole Lane in Audlem).

The Central Macclesfield road joined Macclesfield streets such as Black Road, Blakelow Road, Gunco Lane, Windmill Street, and Union Road in last years cuts.

Cllr Liz Braithwaite has been a councillor since 06/05/2019. (Image - Cheshire East Council)

But it is only Brook Street that will no longer remain gritless for the foreseeable future.

Macclesfield Nub News reached out to one of the ward councillors, Cheshire East's Liz Braithewaite for Comment.

"The lower half of Brook Street had not been assessed correctly against the winter gritting scoring criteria," said the Macclesfield Central Labour representative.

"Cllr [Ashley] Farrall and myself challenged the assessment, pointing out that the river bridge and the railway bridge on that section of road, plus a small section near the junction with the Silk Road with a really steep gradient, had not been taken into account.

The hilly part facing downwards on Brook Street. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

"This led to the road being re-evaluated by CEC Highways and reinstated into the winter gritting schedule.

"Brook Street is also due to be resurfaced in the autumn, following the many temporary patches carried out over the last couple of years."

 The decision was confirmed on Thursday by Sandbach Cheshire East Councillor Cllr Laura Crane.

The Labour representative, who is also Deputy Chair of the Council's Highways and Transport Committee, said last Thursday: "I am glad to see we are including some additional roads that deserve to be treated."

Sandbach Ettiley Heath and Wheelock Councillor Laura Crane. (Image - Cheshire East Council)

Willaston and Rope councillor Allen Gage (Con) said he would like to see the gritting network expanded at a council meeting last week.

"I know there's pressures on money, there always is, but the potential worst outcome of this is the unexpected and tragic loss of life and a few more thousands pounds spent to possibly try and safeguard against that, I think, is money that is well spent," he said.

He also said he couldn't understand why bends in the roads weren't included as relevant criteria, as you couldn't account for someone coming round a blind bend on the wrong side in icy conditions.

"The ultimate outcome of some of these occurrences on the road will be the loss of life and that's something that none of us wants on our consciences," he said.

Cheshire East Council's Craig Browne. (Image - Cheshire East Council)

Cheshire East Deputy Leader and Committee chair Craig Browne (Alderley Edge, Ind) said: "I'm sure all of us around the table would wish to expand the network that's treated if it were possible to do… what we can't do, as a committee, is make decisions that are outside of budget."

The committee was told the council had consulted with town and parish councils about entering into funding agreements in relation to winter gritting 'top up' funded routes.

Any agreed 'top up' funding would be subject to a series of conditions including a minimum three year funding commitment.

Through this funding agreement the town and parish councils would commit to funding some elements of gritting that is undertaken by Cheshire East.

Macclesfield Town Council had offered to pay for cut routes, including Brook Street, before the cut was reversed. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

With Macclesfield Town Council being one of the six smaller forms of local government to have done so, but was then declined in January this year.

According to the report, if this went ahead, then the additional 'top up' funding would reintroduce 20.75km of highway network back into the winter gritting programme, at an estimated cost of about £30k a year.

Cllr Browne welcomed the top-up funding proposals.

"Basically, it's about localism and choice," he said.

Cheshire East Council gritters are on standby 24 hours a day, seven days a week from October until the end of April. (Image - Cheshire East Highways)

"I do accept that there will be some town and parishes that have not chosen to take advantage of this opportunity and that's fine. They have the ability to precept but they choose not to.

"They shouldn't be able to, in any way, prevent those town and parish councils that do wish to take advantage of this opportunity and add one or two routes in their parish areas."

The decision to reinstate the two roads into the gritting route and to delegate authority to the officers to approve entering into funding agreements with town and parish councils in relation to winter gritting 'top up' funded routes was passed unanimously.

You can learn more about gritting in Macclesfield on this link.

Macclesfield lost 20% per capita in grit routes this time last year, but a single route from those cuts has returned. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

East Cheshire Gritting Action Group have been contacted for comment.

See Also: Macclesfield: 'Nurses unable to reach patients' after gritting cuts.

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