Councils cut back on gritting despite fears of icy winter ahead Hilary Benn, the shadow local government secretary, whose office obtained the figures under Freedom of Information laws, said ministers must ensure that gritting services are "fairly funded." "It's vital we keep our roads and pavements safe for drivers and pedestrians at this time of the year," he said. I worry especially for elderly residents who could face dangerously icy pavements this winter, which is expected to be colder than usual, and for drivers on our roads. The figures showed shire counties have made cuts since of 25.8 per cent on average since 2010/11. In London, boroughs have cut funding for road and pavement grit by 36.9 per cent over the same period. The deepest cuts to de-icing services were in the East Midlands, where councils have reduced the budget by 43.5 per cent on average. In Yorkshire and the Humber, funding for the service has been reduced by 27 per cent over the last four years. The south-east has fared best, with reductions of 5.3 per cent.