Oil depot road ‘should be gritting priority’, say Thatcham councillors

District councillor Keith Woodhams (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) and town councillor Brian Barnes (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) have said that even though Pound Lane is not included in West Berkshire Council’s primary gritting network, consideration should been given to the road that houses an oil supply depot – Southdown Oil Supplies Ltd.
Several large oil tankers leave and arrive at the site every day and Mr Barnes said that he witnessed the lorries swerving and sliding on the sloping road at the weekend.
He said: “There’s a slope that's not easy to get down when there’s snow. The main thing is the safety. What would happen if we had an oil disaster?
"When it is brought to the attention of a town councillor and the councillor spends time ringing around, West Berkshire Council should send someone to survey the situation.”
As a result of what he saw and a concern raised by a local resident, Mr Barnes contacted Mr Woodhams to bring the matter to the attention of West Berkshire Council to see whether they would grit the road.
West Berkshire Council responded by saying that the road was not on its gritting network and that Mr Woodhams would have to wait for next year to see if Pound Lane could be included.
Mr Woodhams said that there should be a contingency plan in place for side roads to be gritted if potentially dangerous situations are brought to the attention of the district council.
He said: “It was extremely concerning.
“I was amazed, an accident could happen. Potentially, we have got a tanker slipping down the road, there’s a school and flats nearby and there’s a potential for a major disaster.
“Pound Lane is not on the gritting route because it’s a side road. I’m deeply shocked.”
As well as the oil depot, the road also leads to houses and flats, as well as the entrance to a children’s playground.
West Berkshire Council spokesman Keith Ulyatt said: “All councillors are consulted on the plan for proposed gritting for the coming winter, in the autumn.
“That’s the opportunity for local councillors to ask for the road to be included on the primary gritting route, before the plan is put in place.
“Pound Lane is not on the primary gritting network but is on the secondary network and so has now been gritted.”