A Staveley farmer and contractor has said North Yorkshire Council's team of gritters deserve credit for their work to clear the area's roads.
Richard Tesseyman of C L Tesseyman & Son has been using his snow plough to clear “back roads” across the region, and has also been assisting North Yorkshire Council with some of the major routes.
And he believes that the work done by gritters to prepare the area's roads deserves praise.
Talking about his work during the heavy snowfall, Richard told Your Harrogate:
“Sunday was fairly crackers. We had the job of doing the back roads which we got done as fast as the council were clearing the main routes, but the snow was filling it in again so we dropped onto those to keep them clear.”
Richard and his colleagues have since been assisting motorists who have been stuck or are in need of towing.
This included rescuing a lorry which had become stuck on the Boroughbridge slip road off the A1(M).
He said:
“As farmers, we know the area and the villages that seem to get more snow and the hills where people get stuck - so we have to use our best judgement.”
The reaction to the adverse weather conditions has seen some residents question North Yorkshire Council's proactive and reactive measures.
Richard disputed claims that gritters had not been used before the adverse weather arrived last weekend.
He said:
“You get people saying they haven’t seen a gritter but I think most of them have had their eyes on Facebook and not seen the thing go past!
“We live out near Staveley and they often come past here at 3am in the morning.
“Sometimes I feel like a bit of a fraud because as soon as we go out in a snow plough we get all the credit, but those gritter guys have probably been out two, three or four days before us all night before the cold snap comes.”
Richard was also asked for his opinion on North Yorkshire Council’s reaction to the snow and icy conditions across the region.
He said:
“They’re working hard and doing what they can with the resources they’ve got.
“It doesn’t snow every year in this country - we can have two or three years without - so are the council meant to gear up for a Swiss Alps scenario or do they take a view that a couple of days every year or two we’re going to struggle?
"It’s a balancing act.”
He added:
“It’s a case of waking up in the morning or during the night and looking at where in North Yorkshire the snow has landed and how bad it is - and it can change as the day moves on.
“The council have to think on their feet and move resources around.
“It’s not as simple as sending out all the gritters and snow ploughs to a certain area - it’s got to be targeted.”
Contractors have been working to clear regularly used roads around Harrogate, including Bilton Lane, Duchy, Pannal, Burn Bridge and Jennyfields.
Listen to the full chat when Richard Tesseyman joined Your Harrogate’s Pete Egerton here:
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