DISGRUNTLED villagers in Chedworth are feeling abandoned by the County Council after Gloucestershire Highways removed them from the gritting route without prior warning.

The changes only came to light after heavy snowfall last year on December 10 left the villagers unable to move their cars or walk on treacherous ungritted roads.

Chedworth Parish councillors were first alerted to the problem when villagers contacted them asking for advice.

A call to Gloucestershire Highways revealed that the centre of the village, which sits 600 feet above sea level, had been removed from the gritting route.

Chairman of the Parish Council Ros Jess said: "We got calls from people asking why the roads were in such a state and it was the first that we had heard of it. The roads were like an ice rink. We were getting calls from residents six days later unable to move their cars.

"We rallied round as much as we could but we are just seven people on the Parish Council. We made sure that the grit bins were full up. It was atrocious. The roads were sheets of ice. I had an elderly woman on the phone who was very worried in case she was needed medical help and paramedics could not get through."

Ros claims that they were informed that the cuts were part of a county wide review to reduce costs although it was later revealed that Chedworth was the only village to be taken off the gritting route.

Gloucestershire County Councillor Paul Hodgkinson stepped in to help village fight the decision and attended a meeting with the local Highways manager and members of Chedworth Parish Council.

"When I found out that Chedworth was the only village cut I was flabbergasted," he explained. "We felt that the village should not have been singled out. My view is that the route should be re-instated but that has been rejected."

Gloucestershire County Councillor Vernon Smith, cabinet member for highways at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “As part of a regular review of our winter plan, we looked at all of the key routes that we grit in the county.

“The village has historically been treated as a key route where other similar villages have not, but difficulties with parked cars mean it is not suitable for a gritter to drive down. As such, we have removed it from the key routes list and added it to the secondary route list.

“We have been working closely with the parish council to put a new winter plan in place, which includes extra grit bins around the village and a back up snow plough option.”

Residents, however, refute that gritting lorries could not get through because of parked cars. "We have asked them to provide us with particular locations where lorries could not get through," Ros said. "Dust carts never have trouble so why would a gritter?

"Everyone in the village is disappointed and we feel we have been badly treated."