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Blizzard hits Basingstoke

4:41pm Monday 21st December 2009


A BOUT of heavy snowfall has led to traffic misery across Basingstoke as motorists contend with treacherous driving conditions.

The snow, which started falling at midday today, has caused disruption on many of the town’s roads, including the Ringway and Churchill Way.

There have also been reports of people leaving their cars by the side of the road as the snow continues to fall.

Andrew Howard, head of public affairs at the AA in Basing View, said: “The impression we have got is that it is gridlock.

“We were told to leave at 2.30pm but a number of people decided to come back into the office because they could not get out of Basing View.”

He said that at 3.30pm this afternoon, traffic going along the Ringway East towards the M3 was going at “walking pace”.

The Met Office has issued a warning of heavy snow for Hampshire this evening and tonight.

The warning states that 2 to 5cm of fresh snow could fall, with up to 10cm possible in places, especially on the higher ground.

Alison Taylor, communications manager at Hampshire County Council, said the council’s gritting lorries went out at 2.30pm today and were due to complete two more runs by the end of the day.

For more information on the delays, see the traffic information section of this website.

If you have got a snow picture or a story about the snowfall in Basingstoke, contact The Gazette newsdesk by calling 01256 337444 or email newsdesk@basingstokegazette.co.uk


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ranjit8083, says...
5:13pm Mon 21 Dec 09

Where are the gritting lorries? Why were they sent out so late? Surely they knew if was going to snow????

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Tintinout, Bramley says...
9:20pm Mon 21 Dec 09

Blizzard? Err, no. Just snow. We had some early in the year so we could practice dealing with it.
-*-
As for gritting - The council say that they won't run out of salt this year, could this be because they arn't bothering to use any? Perhaps it's cheaper to defend the negligence and injury claims than it is to salt the roads and paths? I suspect there will be more salt on the tables of the slap up Councilors Christmas Banquets than we'll see on the local roads. Give it a few days and the gritting lorries will eventually appear late and on overtime...

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Jo Walke, says...
10:36pm Mon 21 Dec 09

I cant quite believe that gritters were despatched so late!!
At 2:30 the roads around Chineham were already blocked!
My husband walked from Chineham with a flask of boiling water to rescue my daughter/grandson. They got to Newbury at 4:30 and have only just got home at 10:30pm!! - this story must have been repeated all over the borough.
Where were these gritters? why were they not out earlier? Where were the Police who could have surely assisted in traffic direction?!
**
This much snow should not have caused this chaos - it is a stark reminder to how many vehicles use our roads and despite prior, fairly recent, gridlock the borough seems to have no planning to deal with such situations!
**
Its not that they couldn't do anything - its that nobody was doing anything!!!

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king01, Hartley Wintney says...
10:52pm Mon 21 Dec 09

yes the gritters were to late but oh well! get out you car and have some fun, we all did, i met loads of people this afternoon, yes it took me 6 hours to get from basingstoke to hartley wintne but get over it, its only SNOW!

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PeterLG, Hatch Warren says...
11:04pm Mon 21 Dec 09

Absolute disgrace. Thanks council for your timeous gritting from all the parents trapped in the gridlock with young children, babies & the elderly. Oh, & everyone else. Hope to heck I can find my car tomorrow (undamaged/ unvandalised) or sometime when I can get back to where I left it after sitting in the car with my child for 4 hours. 4 Mile walk home took just over 1/2 hour. Far better option. Wonder what we should be expecting for the rest of winter if this is the way it starts?

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Craig Barry, Basingstoke says...
1:27am Tue 22 Dec 09

Come on guys!..

Yea, ok there was little or no presence from gritters. Yea ok it snowed like crazy.

Did anyone actually expect anything to be done about it following on from February?

It came down 4 days ago and nothing was done.

Instead of bashing the council in this comment, i want to praise the spirit of people from the town, helping people in need is exactly what was needed tonight, there were guys pushing cars stuck in patches of ice, people giving out chocloate and drinks just to keep motorists going!..

Soon the snow will be gone, and everyone will be saying that they miss it.! Have some fun while it lasts and dont drive... Simples :)

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little8571, basingstoke says...
8:29am Tue 22 Dec 09

i will bash the council in my comment, and the police who just sat in their patrol cars watching the kaos at major roundabouts instead of getting out to direct traffic, i sat with my 7 year old daughter for 7.5 hours, why? because roundabouts were blocked,this could have been avoided with some simple traffic managment by the police. my 7 year old daughter needed the toilet, food and drink, but we had no help,apart from my brother who when he managed to get home walked to our car with a flask of hot tea for me and drink for my daughter so a big thanks to him for that, fun i wouldnt call it im afraid

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littlechic, Eastleigh says...
9:26am Tue 22 Dec 09

Having travelled from Viables Business park down to the M3 Jct 7 at 7pm it took me 5 hours in appaling conditions. Not once in those 5 hrs did I see a gritter or any police. Luckily there were people out helping push the cars up the RAB's to keep people moving. At one point I thought I would have to sleep in my car. I luckily made it to the Jct 7 of the M3 SB onlsip of which Highways Agency had gritted and I have never been happier to get onto a motorway ! It had clearly been gritted, the traffic was free flowing and within 2 mins I had seen 2 gritters. Basingstoke council should of been well prepared for this and should maybe learn some lessons from the HA who managed to keep the motorway flowing safely!!I got home at midnight much to the relief of my family. The worst experiance ive ever had in all my time of driving.

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seh567, Hatch Warren says...
11:04am Tue 22 Dec 09

I don't think gritters or the like would have made any difference, this was extremely adverse weather conditions. As previous people have commented we should praise the resolve of some people to help others. Whilst we are on the subject my son who is a postman walked to the Royal Mail Centre (by the hospital) from Brighton Hill at 4 am this morning to get to work, thats what I call dedication and I don't suppose Royal Mail will thank him for it!

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karenjones, Basingstoke says...
2:26pm Tue 22 Dec 09

I'd like to praise the people who shared their hotel rooms at the Apollo where I was stranded last night after giving up trying to get up the Aldermarston Road, and for the kindness showed by hotel staff.

However I would also like to share that there were several people who, out of shere impatience, blocked the roundabout. I sat for 2 hours at the end of the dual carriage way coming down from Houndmills onto the Aldermarston roundabout, refusing to block cars coming round to get onto the ringway. I wish others had shown the same sense and courtesey.

All my company's employees got home safely which was great and we are all geared up to work from home.

A lack of road grit will not squash British grit and determination to carry on regardless!

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Kemploc, Basingstoke says...
6:21pm Tue 22 Dec 09

karenjones wrote:
I'd like to praise the people who shared their hotel rooms at the Apollo where I was stranded last night after giving up trying to get up the Aldermarston Road, and for the kindness showed by hotel staff. However I would also like to share that there were several people who, out of shere impatience, blocked the roundabout. I sat for 2 hours at the end of the dual carriage way coming down from Houndmills onto the Aldermarston roundabout, refusing to block cars coming round to get onto the ringway. I wish others had shown the same sense and courtesey. All my company's employees got home safely which was great and we are all geared up to work from home. A lack of road grit will not squash British grit and determination to carry on regardless!
I would like to say a very big 'THANK YOU' to all those people living along Kempshott Lane who came to my and so many other driver's rescue last night. In what was one of the scariest drives home from work ever, these kind people dug, pushed and instructed me and loads of other cars all the way up the hill. Without there help I would have been totally helpless. Thank you once again I was so grateful and wanted you to know how much your efforts were appreciated. Have a very Merry and safe Christmas.

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Tintinout, Bramley says...
6:36pm Tue 22 Dec 09

How was this assessed? Here is a clue - someone sat in a nice warm office looking out the window..:

http://www.geograph.
org.uk/photo/1628925

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claire champion, basingstoke says...
10:02am Wed 23 Dec 09

i think it would of mad a great deal of help if Hampshire County Council actually done there jobs propley byr gritting the roads even now i live in popley and along shetland road is horrendace because it has not been gritted y is this what the hell do we all pay council tax for

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claire champion, basingstoke says...
10:02am Wed 23 Dec 09

i think it would of mad a great deal of help if Hampshire County Council actually done there jobs propley byr gritting the roads even now i live in popley and along shetland road is horrendace because it has not been gritted y is this what the hell do we all pay council tax for

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TURNER.MARY2, Basingstoke says...
7:59pm Wed 23 Dec 09

i went to work on Monday morning in Alton to find by 14.30 the whole of Alton was gridlocked i had to leave my car and spend the night in my office in Alton with five other people .Our jounery home was tuesday morning at 10.30 which was when we left Alton arriving back in Basingstoke at our home at 12.00 the roads were dreadful many of our work mates it took them 5 plus hours to get to there homes.The roads from Alton to Basingstoke were not even a little clear.dreadful experince people go on about Health and Safety what about ours the real people who hav families worrying about where we are spending the arriving home the nent day.

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Snow caused traffic chaos on the roads Queues formed as people attempted to drive through the snow

Snow caused traffic chaos on the roads

Queues formed as people attempted to drive through the snow





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