Politicians urge Cranagh road to be added to gritting schedule

LOCAL politicians have called for the B47 road between Cranagh and Draperstown to be added to the Primary Gritting Network Schedule due to ‘extenuating circumstances’.

Sinn Fein politicians Declan McAleer MLA, Cllr Emma Sheerin and Cllr Fergal Leonard have written to the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) to request that the entirety of the B47 road be added to the Primary Gritting Network Schedule because if the road becomes impassable they say, residents will become cut off having to travel a 50-mile round trip to access vital services.

DFI confirmed that they would be gritting the road this week during the current icy conditions.

Cllr Leonard told the Strabane Chronicle, “I wish to thank the DFI Roads Service for responding to representations from local MLAs Declan McAleer, Emma Sheerin and myself to grit and make this vital route between counties Tyrone in Derry passable during this week’s cold snap.

“However, while DFI agreed to grit from the Goles Road to Sixtowns Road on Monday in order to last for a number of days, it qualified its response to us by saying such gritting could only be carried out if ‘deemed possible and necessary to do so’ given that the road still does not have a sufficient volume of traffic to qualify for Primary Gritting Network Schedule.”

He added, “The location and elevation of Cranagh makes it very susceptible to inclement weather conditions, and when frost or snow strikes, the area is always badly hit.

“While Plumbridge may be the closest link to the main gritted network, many local people access their services such as GP’s, the shop in Draperstown and many local children go to St Colm’s Secondary school in Draperstown.

“When the B47 route is not gritted it leaves local people completely cut off or alternatively involves a 50-mile round trip from Cranagh to Draperstown via the gritted network to access these vital services.

“The current gritting policy does not take account of such extenuating circumstances and needs to change.”