Water on road that freezes in winter.

In my position as Chairman of Swerford Parish Council I have been asked by a large number of villagers to bring to your attention a problem which is causing them great concern.

Natural springs flow from the verges at the entrance to the village and causes a large amount of water to be deposited on the road. This water then spreads across the road and flows for a number of meters down the hill.

For the majority of days this is a minor inconvenience, however, on very cold days during the winter months, this water freezes and forms a sheet of ice on the steepest section of the hill. This sheet of ice covers the whole width of the road, which is also at its steepest point. As the ice is located immediately after a sharp bend many drivers enter the village with no realisation of the dangers and number of cars have skidded.

There only needs to be an on-coming car or a pedestrian to cause a major incident. Many of the villagers feel that it is not an exaggeration to claim that if the situation is not dealt with there is a serious risk to life should an accident occur.

I therefore request that a member of the Highways Department have a visit to the village to make an assessment of the problem. I attach three photos taken in the last week. Although we have had a number of heat waves recently, there is still some water seeping onto the road at the height of summer.