Clive Betts Gritting Comments on Radio Sheffield

[Glennis 15]

I feel so enraged by his comments saying the more affluent areas have had there side roads gritted I had to sign up to this forum. All I can Mr Betss is come up to my road in Lodge Moor and show me where this supposed grit is! What a foolish man he truly is.

 

He's an idiot ... ours in Greystones have no grit in the boxes to even attempt a DIY job...let alone the council gritting them. I don't drive, and have really struggled getting down the hills this week

Edited January 11, 2010 by Glennis

[Glennis 15]

Is he still a an MP DAMN. I saw him in John lewis buyin £60 carpet ?????????????????????????????????????????

 

On expenses?

[Ousetunes 10]

I don't recall Mr Betts or for that matter, cohort Mr Blunkett achieving a great deal for this city when they were at the helm. Indeed, both ran a pretty lousy show and ensured Sheffield remained a backwater when compared to other major cities in the North.

 

In fact, the name Betts is only synonymous with one particular incident which Wikipedia has thus:

 

"In 2003 Betts was suspended from the House of Commons for 7 days for irregularities involving the employment and visa of Jose Gasparo, a Brazilian student with previous experience as a male escort.

Betts was found guilty of breaching the MPs' code of conduct, with the Standards and Privileges Committee stating that Mr Betts had acted "extremely foolishly" and had risked damaging public confidence in the integrity of Parliament. Betts apologised unreservedly for his behaviour."

 

And he's a little bit upset about a bit of grit?

 

Priorities Mr Betts, priorities.

[Riche 10]

I don't recall Mr Betts or for that matter, cohort Mr Blunkett achieving a great deal for this city when they were at the helm. Indeed, both ran a pretty lousy show and ensured Sheffield remained a backwater when compared to other major cities in the North.

 

In fact, the name Betts is only synonymous with one particular incident which Wikipedia has thus:

 

"In 2003 Betts was suspended from the House of Commons for 7 days for irregularities involving the employment and visa of Jose Gasparo, a Brazilian student with previous experience as a male escort.

Betts was found guilty of breaching the MPs' code of conduct, with the Standards and Privileges Committee stating that Mr Betts had acted "extremely foolishly" and had risked damaging public confidence in the integrity of Parliament. Betts apologised unreservedly for his behaviour."

 

And he's a little bit upset about a bit of grit?

 

Priorities Mr Betts, priorities.

 

Good on you pal, you beat me to it with your reply, Mp's with young men seems to be all the rage at mo. If he wants to now about grit he should try sex on the beach.

[raizuli3 12]

He's an idiot ... ours in Greystones have no grit in the boxes to even attempt a DIY job...let alone the council gritting them. I don't drive, and have really struggled getting down the hills this week

 

total rubbish, i personally filled numerous gritbins in the Greystones area last Thursday, yours was proberbly the only one that was missed.

[Tony 10]

I've personally seen ours refilled three times. No complaints from me.

 

We've had the farmers ploughing and gritting around us today which is something that I've not seen for a few years. I wonder if a few extra contracts have been handed out or enhanced? I have to say that they have done a spectacular job, far better than anything that I've seen in the last couple of weeks from the council teams.

[sheffgrow 10]

i have nothing but praise for the council and the gritting staff, our grit bin was filled on numerous occasions and the roads are fine if you take your time, clive betts doesnt know what he is on about as he lives in london with his former escort brazillian boyfriend

[algy 11]

He's an idiot ... ours in Greystones have no grit in the boxes to even attempt a DIY job...let alone the council gritting them. I don't drive, and have really struggled getting down the hills this week

 

I'm in Greystones and our bin has been refilled twice. Has anyone troubled to ring the Council and ask for yours to be refilled? Last time I rang on Wednesday afternoon and it was refilled on Thursday.

Well done gentlemen!

[algy 11]

The level of snow and ice is irrelevant if the local authority has a fair policy that ensures all major roads in the city are gritted regardless of the area - the issue that Clive Betts brought up was that side roads in the west of the city were being gritted whilst those council tax payers that don't own 4X4's were unable to walk safely to a bus stop or to their local shops.

 

So by your logic roads should be gritted even if they're clear of ice and snow. Perhaps you hadn't noticed but some parts of Sheffield are much hillier than others, so to disregard the area is nonsense. And the issue Clive Betts brought up was based on complaints from constituents who obviously had as little knowledge of the true situation as he did. But never let it be said that a New Labour MP would let facts get in the way of political point scoring!

 

Oh, and by the way, not everybody in the west of the city has a 4x4. Many don't have a car, and have to walk to a bus stop or the shops like other council tax payers everywhere else. Not that the buses run up the hills if it looks like snow, so a hike to the nearest main road is necessary.

[Darth Vader 10]

With reference to "Darth Vader" & his comments about Clive Betts....I live at Sothall and not miles away from civilisation, Crystal Peaks shopping centre is 2 miles away, and when I bought my house I did not expect to be snowed in for over a week due to Sheffield City Council mis-management and incompetance!

I pay £1400 a year in Council Tax and regardless of where I live I also expect a level of service.

We have 1 Grit/Salt Bin which is 3/4's of a mile away from my house and has been empty for 3 weeks, even though I & other residents have telephoned requesting it be refilled, I have requested another grit bin for the area, but this will not be present until Oct 2010, thats if they allow us another 1, as it is somewhat of a lottery. Greystones, has 33 Grit bins according to the Councils web site, and Fulwood, Crosspool have dozens.

Clive Betts maybe touting for votes but he's absolutely correct with the South East of Sheffield being neglected. The 1 nad only bus route has not been gritted and it is like sheet glass. If the council reduce my council tax for the next year then they can leave us....but whilst ever I am paying the same if not more than North Sheffield areas I want a service!!!!

 

I guess it's all a matter of personal perspective. I choose to live close to the city centre as it suits my lifestyle and I hate the thought of being cut off. My mates at Fulwood always have to put their everyday life on hold almost every time we have a sprinkling of snow and that is not for me. They've lived there long enough to make an informed choice, that's up to them. The council can't grit everywhere. My council tax is no cheaper than yours but the council don't have as far to come to grit my road. I'm not asking for a reduction, I knew what the banding was when I bought the place. I also made an informed decision.

[BillyWhiz 10]

So by your logic roads should be gritted even if they're clear of ice and snow. Perhaps you hadn't noticed but some parts of Sheffield are much hillier than others, so to disregard the area is nonsense. And the issue Clive Betts brought up was based on complaints from constituents who obviously had as little knowledge of the true situation as he did. But never let it be said that a New Labour MP would let facts get in the way of political point scoring!

 

Oh, and by the way, not everybody in the west of the city has a 4x4. Many don't have a car, and have to walk to a bus stop or the shops like other council tax payers everywhere else. Not that the buses run up the hills if it looks like snow, so a hike to the nearest main road is necessary.

 

Try reading my post properly instead of simply bitching at a MP who was passing on concerns and observations put to him by his constituents

[algy 11]

Try reading my post properly instead of simply bitching at a MP who was passing on concerns and observations put to him by his constituents

 

I did,perhaps you should try reading it again! It isn't bitching to criticise an MP who parrots unsubstantiated claims which are provably untrue by ill-informed persons in order to score cheap party political points.