The salt storage facilities run by Bath & North East Somerset Council are now at record capacity in preparation for another tough winter on the area’s roads.
Some 2,300 tonnes is ready for spreading by the Council’s nine-strong fleet of gritting vehicles when temperatures plunge.
Over 38% of the road network is salted by the Council – this totals 261 miles of highway and is 8% higher than the national average, supplemented with over 400 grit bins also available for the public to access salt.
In the event of snowfall the Council redeploys staff to assist with snow clearing and can operate the gritting fleet around the clock to ensure the maximum levels of support is given to residential and business communities across the district.
Councillor Caroline Roberts (Lib-Dem, Newbridge), Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “For the past few months, Bath & North East Somerset Council has been busy preparing for a harsh winter. Our increased salt storage means our gritting on prioritised routes can continue for longer.”
“We’re also very grateful to members of the Council’s Snow Warden Scheme, the initiative encouraging people to volunteer to help clear snow and ice the Council can’t get to.”
A substantial amount of information is available on the Council’s website www.bathnes.gov.uk/gritting – including a winter advice leaflet offering tips on dealing with severe winter weather on highways and pavements. This includes Government guidance on householders clearing snow and ice outside their home.
Kelvin Packer, Council Group Manager for Highways and Traffic, said: “We are able to maximise our salt supply by regularly turning it over in the barn to maintain its shelf life, as well as moving our emergency supply into the barn before it deteriorates and using calibrated spreaders on the gritting machines to ensure not a grain is wasted.
“We are monitoring the weather forecast 24 hours a day using real time data from two weather stations. We also obtain detailed forecasts from a specialist supplier of weather information about the likely effect on road conditions.
“The Council is well prepared to ensure our priority routes are gritted so that people can get around the road network as safely as possible.”
During any severe winter weather the Council provides regular updates about the status of its services on www.twitter.com/bathnes.
The public can also play their part in helping the Council to manage the road network during severe weather. They can report any problems on:
- Web: www.bathnes.gov.uk/reportit
- Email: [email protected]
- Twitter: @ccbathnes
- Text SMS: 07797 806545
- Call: 01225 39 40 41 during working hours
In an emergency call 01225 477477.
