2012 - Our 75th Anniversary

Salting of Coombe Wood Hill – Update 10 February 2012

After the RRA took the matter up with Cllr Yvette Hopley on Sunday afternoon, 5 February, that no salting of CWH had taken place during the heavy snow of the previous evening. We understand that it was then salted twice in late afternoon on 5 February.

We have received the following correspondence from  Steve Iles at Croydon Council, via Cllr Yvette Hopley

“…Coombe Wood Hill has received multiple treatment applications since the 02/02/12. The gritter’s are fitter with a tracking system …. and I have extracted the information from it and can confirm the following treatment times:-

As of Wednesday this week (8th) Coombe Wood Hill has been treated as part of the primary route”.

This is indeed god news and it would appear that Lower Barn Rd is also being salted. The RRA will continue to monitor.

Update 5 February 2012

The RRA are aware that ploughing and salting of this road has not taken place on 4/5 February during and after heavy snowfall and we have again taken this up with Cllr Yvette Hopley as to why the Council are not undertaking this gritting, despite Steve Iles of Croydon Council previously saying, on 20 January “that he will review the priority of Coombe Wood Hill and amend the treatment routes accordingly.”

Update 20 January 2012

Following an RRA committee meeting on 18 January, the Committee advised Councillor Yvette Hopley, who was present at the meeting, of the continuing saga of the lack of salting to this road and she took the matter up again with Councillor Phil Thomas, the Cabinet Member for Environment & Highways.

The RRA have received the news today, via Councillor Hopley that Steve Iles, Head of Highways, “has agreed with Councillor Phil Thomas that he will review the priority of Coombe Wood Hill and amend the treatment routes accordingly.”

This is good news and one that the RRA has been campaigning for over 2 years now, to have this steep hill reinstated for salting. The RRA will continue to monitor the situation. We would like to thank Cllr Yvette Hopley for her assistance.

A precis of this saga, is below:

Update December 2011
As has been previously reported in issues of  “The Recorder” since April 2010, the RRA have been advised about numerous vehicle accidents (at least twelve) occurring in Coombe Wood Hill, during the winters of 2010 and 2011. Some of the accidents, mainly during snowy conditions, involved vehicles demolishing telegraph poles, street furniture, front garden walls and also damage to parked cars. Most of the accidents were from vehicles travelling down the hill. Fortunately to date, we understand, there have been no serious injuries or fatalities.

Coombe Wood Hill prior to late 2009, has for 30 years plus, been gritted in preference to Lower Barn Rd.

The RRA have had a constant dialogue with the Council on this subject for many months to try and establish why the gritting route was changed in November 2009, from Coombe Wood Hill to Lower Barn Rd. The RRA are of the view that both Coombe Wood Hill (as a steep gradient) and Lower Barn Road (an approach to a Railway Station) ought to be salted. The two criteria in bold, are two of the criteria that the Council apply, to assessing which routes should be salted. (See Link)  Lower Barn Rd is also an escape route for vehicles that are trapped in the dip, between the two hills, on Mitchley Ave and Rectory Park.

The lack of gritting/salting also applies to frost, when this hill can be extremely slippery.  As Coombe Wood Hill seems to be used as a major traffic route to Riddlesdown Collegiate, particularly in the mornings, the RRA considers this to be a highly dangerous situation especially when sheet ice and heavy frosts are present. This road, which is usually not salted when snow is forecast or falling, does leave the hill impassable in heavy snow to most traffic, except some 4x4’s. It does also leave any property in Coombe Wood Hill and Hill Close susceptible to the response of emergency services vehicles, like fire engines and ambulances in heavy snow. Most other routes on the south side of Mitchley Avenue, leading to Riddlesdown Collegiate, are gritted as primary routes!

The RRA also considers that the road could also be a danger to pedestrians, if a vehicle loses control coming down the hill, and could possibly hit any pedestrian(s) who are walking on the pavement(s).

Steve Iles, Head of Highways at Croydon Council has reported to us, in November 2011 “….. my team have provided information to confirm Coombe Wood Hill has never been part of the primary routes; it has always been on the secondary routes. The reason for this is the gritting vehicle treats Lower Barn Road as this road has a railway station along it and the main route for traffic.

This issue came to light following the severe weather in 2009 where we had a national shortage of salt and therefore we had to preserve our stockpile to ensure we didn’t run out this saw the suspension of treating secondary routes for a period of time. This road is a gradient along with many others in the area and across the southern part of the borough and we just don’t have the resources to treat them all at once.”

The RRA responded to this, that Steve Iles was incorrect in saying that Lower Barn Rd has always been gritted, as the gritters have always gone straight from Brancaster Lane into Coombe Wood Hill (or vice versa), in both frost and snow and not salted Lower Barn Rd. The only exception to this was if Coombe Wood Hill had a heavy snowfall on it and the gritter drivers usually assessed whether they could make it up the hill or not. Usually they would then turn down Lower Barn Rd. Brancaster Lane and then Coombe Wood Hill would also appear to be used more, as a through traffic route (or vice versa) and not Lower Barn Rd.

The Council are adamant that Coombe Wood Hill will no longer be gritted as a primary route, but will go onto the secondary route list. The RRA will continue to monitor the situation but if residents’ (particularly in Coombe Wood Hill and Hill Close) wish to take this further, then Steve Iles, Head of Highways at Croydon Council can be contacted by e-mail at: steve.iles@croydon.gov.uk   Please also keep the RRA advised, via our e-mail address: Riddlesdownresidents@gmail.com of any accidents.

The matter has also been brought to the attention of the three Sanderstead Ward Councillors and Councillor Yvette Hopley has tried to persuade the Council and the Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways, Councillor Phil Thomas, to re-asses this. However it still brought a negative response. She can be reached via e-mail: yvette.hopley@croydon.gov.uk for any further comments residents may have.

NOTE - All Red Routes ie A22 (Godstone Rd), A23 (Brighton Rd, Purley Way, Thornton Rd & London Rd) and A232 (Croydon Flyover, Addiscombe Rd, Wickham Rd) are the responsibility of Tfl for gritting and maintenance so any complaints about the condition of these roads should be directed to them and not Croydon Council.