Bromley snow friends ready for repeat of big freeze

BRACED for another winter of big freezes, Bromley Council is ploughing the way forward with a snow clearing initiative that could teach David Cameron a thing or two about his Big Society.

The pioneering scheme is known as Snow Friends, where groups of residents rally the community spirit and volunteer to clear snow and ice from their street.

Since Councillor Colin Smith came up with the idea in late 2009, his vision has evolved from giving individuals shovels and salt to appointing group co-ordinators who organise a snow clearing system within their neighbourhood.

This year the council is going for it in a big way with 125 groups set up already consisting of almost 2,500 'friends'.

With winter round the corner, 2,638 10kg bags of salt, 1,923 scoops and 109 super scoops are in the process of being delivered across the borough in a busy schedule of around 200 drop offs.

Explaining the scheme is very much people power rather than council power, Cllr Smith said: "We struggle as a country when we get 8in of snow. The whole place grinds to a halt.

"The greatest resource anyone has is people. It's not too much effort for most able bodied people to clear 10 yards outside their house."

He added: "It's not for the council to say here's your bag of salt, you have to sweep here. We recognise people know their neighbourhood better. People will know where to start, what to do."

Part of the idea of encouraging people to pick up a shovel stems from an acceptance that the council cannot cover all bases at once.

Bromley, the biggest borough in London, has 500 miles of road and 700 miles of pavement and is required to grit its 260 miles of main road.

Cllr Smith, the council's portfolio holder for environment, said: "We've tried to be absolutely honest at all times as to what the limitations are.

"We've said we've not got the resources to clear every road and pavement in the borough.

"Hands up we can't clear all the roads. As long as the weather is below zero we're bound to stay on the main routes."

The council has 9,000 tonnes of salt at its disposal, enough for three major snow storms.

But a fourth, Cllr Smith warns, would probably finish stocks off.

For more information about Snow Friends, call 020 8313 4557 or email snow.friends@bromley.gov.uk

SALT, SCOOPS AND SUPER SCOOPS

Super scoops, which are designed to push snow out of the way rather than dig, are typically given to groups with 10 or more people in.

For example, a group of 80 people would be given:

40 scoops

40 bags of 10kg salt

Two super scoops