Letter: What has happened to all the grit boxes?

I have lived on Eastfield estate all my life and in that time I have seen and witnessed many harsh winters.
Communities need grit boxes.Communities need grit boxes.
Communities need grit boxes.

The council supplied around the area grit and salting boxes for the public to use to help make getting around a lot better by members of the public using the grit on footpaths, outside shops, and on hills due to ice and snowfalls.

I used to live in Hertford Close on the junction with Caymer Road and I often used the grit bins to help not only myself as a motorist but others by spreading grit on the paths and the hill.

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The grit boxes have always been there sitting quietly all year round until wanted, sitting there for many years and always checked and refilled by the council ready for winter, that’s until now.

After the snowfall recently, I went to get a bucket full of grit from my local grit box with was located on Eastway and the box had been removed, so I went to another box which was located on Westway, that to had been removed.

Someone said there is a box near the Holy Nativity Church on Westway so I made my there, and guess what?, yes there was a box but it was empty.

My hunt took me wider and at the bus stop near the fly over at Seamer Station the grit box stood there I lifted the lid not only was there no grit it was full of stinking water.

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The one in Cayton had gone also, and at the grit boxes in Osgodby near the Barn put, salt had set to concrete my shovel could not break it up and the one further down the hill was empty.

The are has taken a big hit by cuts – the lack of grass cutting in the summer, street lighting being switched off in many areas at night, potholes in the roads everywhere, and hedgerows being left to grow wild, and now no grit boxes in winter.

Finally, we got more services for less council tax payment a few years ago and now I will hate it when the demand comes through the letter box for 2018/19, we will be paying more cash for less. Central government are giving less money to councils and councils told to save more – and we the general public are stuck in the middle paying more, we can’t save, and getting less in services from North Yorkshire County Council and Scarborough Borough Council.

Who says we are the sixth riches nation in the world?

J Large

Shire Croft

Scarborough