MOTORISTS using a steep rural road on the outskirts of Oxenhope got into trouble during this week's icy conditions.

This photo, supplied by Oxenhope Parish councillor Peter McManus, shows vans and lorries stranded on Hill House Edge Lane on Tuesday morning. (Dec 12)

He said this had happened to different vehicles at the same location on successive mornings and evenings since December 7.

Cllr McManus raised the matter at the latest meeting of the parish council.

Commenting shortly after yesterday evening's (Dec 13) meeting he said: "The hill out of Oxenhope is probably at a gradient of 1 in 5 as it rises about 200 feet over probably 300 yards.

"We have as a parish council persuaded Bradford and Calderdale councils to erect "Not Suitable to HGV" signs erected at both ends, but these are regularly ignored.

"If drivers take the shortest Satnav route between the western side of Halifax and Oxenhope this is the route they are shown.

"In actual fact it is very little shorter or quicker than the A629 route.

"This problem is compounded by four wheel drive car owners, who seem to feel it's necessary to prove their manhood by driving over this route in difficult conditions.

"On one morning earlier this week my wife saw a 'first' for this route.

"One of the drivers stuck in a van that day had obviously been told his rescuers would be a long time in coming.

"He took some wood out of his van and built a campfire in the middle of the road, around which all of the marooned drivers huddled for warmth.

"I was not at home at the time, otherwise I would definitely have taken a photo of that!"

Speaking during the council meeting, Worth Valley ward councillor Rebecca Poulsen said: "Gritting has been a hot topic over the last few days.

"There are set, primary routes that the gritting vehicles have to follow.

"People can request gritting for other routes, which the gritting teams will try to do if they have time.

"But they can't get up very steep, narrow roads, as they are not driving 4x4 vehicles.

"I haven't had complaints about the main roads, but it's the side roads that have been most affected, and not all of them are going to get gritted.

"It's particularly difficult to know when to grit when the weather is changing from rain, to snow, to sleet. The grit can easily be washed away."

Cllr Poulsen also warned of problems with some people using the contents of grit boxes on their own personal drives, rather than on the highway.

"It is important people use this grit properly," she added.