In his latest column, High Peak MP Robert Largan writes about the impact of Storm Arwen on the borough and an ongoing dispute between councils over grit bins.

Over the past week, the effects of Storm Arwen brought the best of out the people of High Peak. When an ambulance got stuck in Fairfield on Saturday morning, local residents came out and cleared the road with shovels. Just one example of the numerous acts of kindness we’ve seen over the last few days, as people across the High Peak have pulled together to help each other.

The last few days have been a source of pride but also of frustration. Frustration at the length of time it has taken to restore power to hundreds of homes, as a result of Storm Arwen. Some homes, particularly in the more remote rural areas of the High Peak, have been left without power for five nights and the lack of clear communication from Electricity North West on when residents could expect power to be restored.

I realise that this has been a very challenging few days, with engineers having to work outdoors in extreme weather to try and fix hundreds of faults across the power grid as a result of an unusually severe storm. I want to put on record my thanks to all those who have been working round the clock to restore power to residents and re-open roads across the county.

I’ve spent a large part of the last few days trying to get help and support affected residents and I’m grateful to Derbyshire County Council and the Local Resilience Forum for their efforts in supporting the most vulnerable.

I’ve also been frustrated about the ongoing dispute between High Peak Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council over grit bins in Buxton, Glossop and Hadfield.

Currently, Parish or Town councils take responsibility for maintaining grit bins on residential streets. However, Glossop, Hadfield and Buxton do not have Town councils, which means that High Peak Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council need to pick up the slack.

Unfortunately, the two councils are unable to agree who is responsible for maintaining any additional grit bins in advance of winter, leaving Glossop, Hadfield and Buxton at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the High Peak.

I'm therefore asking people to sign my petition calling on the two councils to get round the table, resolve this issue and get on with installing the badly needed extra grit bins.

This spat has gone on for far too long. Both councils need to pull their fingers out and get a grip on grit!

You can sign Robert’s petition at robertlargan.co.uk/gritbins

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