I was so appalled about the way East Devon District Council (EDDC) and Devon County Council (DCC) attempted to deal with (or lack of dealing with) the clearing of the snow and ice in and around Exmouth.

I was particularly upset when visiting an elderly friend in Dray Court on December 27. To walk to the front door was absolutely lethal because of the lack of snow and ice being cleared. As an EDDC property, it was surely EDDC’s responsibility to clear the footpaths from the entrances to the highway. Our friend was told, after contacting EDDC, that this was DCC’s responsibility - is this correct?

A councillor in Exeter tried to make us feel desperately sorry for an employee who had damaged an ankle (and, indeed, I sympathise) but what about all the residents at Dray Court? What if they tried to go out - I’m sure the injuries incurred would have been much more serious. The non-clearance of the snow effectively made many housebound for over a week.

In this day and age, it appears to me that there is no common sense and flexibility. Many issues appear contradictory regarding health and safety. How do EDDC justify not working to clear these footpaths - surely it is their duty and service?

Other resources could have been deployed or diverted from activities such as ground maintenance to clear the snow and ice around the town and surrounding key paths and road junctions. Why could the marines not have been asked to help for a few days? Most of the time this resource was not doing anything to assist - or does this upset your budgets!

There is also the issue of providing local grit and salt boxes - where are these? Will EDDC publish locations and can we expect EDDC to publish future contingency plans that local people can comment on?

Come on EDDC, you can do better. I hope government departments and businesses can work together so that we do not have to endure this again.

Margaret Ellett

11a Madeira Villas, Exmouth