LETTER: Who should clear snow from footpaths?

Snow clearance: who is responsible? Do you have any responsibility?

Should shops, offices and pubs be responsible?

Year-in, year-out, we have the same arguments but little changes. A party in power says what a good job it has done and whatever the opposition is, it claims it was a disaster and how much better they would have coped if they had been in charge and so it goes on.

Sorry, young ones, but “when I was a lad” that old chestnut comes to mind.

In post-war Stockport where I came to live, we had some fierce winters. My cousins and I were always expected to clear the path to the road and that part of the footpath in front of the house.

We also would expect to do the same for an elderly neighbour who was unable to do theirs. Shops in a parade would clear their front and any who did not would be badgered to let us clean it but we did expect some reward for that!

So what has changed? What has to change and please none of the “It’s all to do with health and safety”. That’s a myth and a convenient cop-out.

DEREK MANN

Colne