Calderdale is ready for "the worst winter can throw at it"

Tuesday, 14 September 2010

Calderdale Council says it is already prepared for the worst the winter can throw at it.

The Council started planning for the coming winter in April and this year will have a total of 17,000 tonnes of salt, stored at three depots.

"That would usually be enough to cope with two to three normal winters," says Acting Head of Highways and Engineering, Dave Tee.

"But, bearing in mind the extreme weather conditions that we experienced last year and the difficulties that all councils had in replenishing their supplies, we've ordered enough salt to cope in the event that this winter is as bad as last year's."

The Council are currently taking deliveries of stock and depots are now almost full.

"Hopefully, because we have ordered our supplies early, we will have enough salt to cope with whatever the weather throws at us this winter and keep all of our major routes open," says Dave.

This winter the clearance of significant snowfall from pavements near schools, nurseries, doctor's surgeries and residential care homes will be carried out in addition to the existing snow clearance service and up to 100 extra salt bins are to be placed at priority locations.

Facts and figures about gritting

• In a normal winter, the Council uses between 6,000 and 8,000 tonnes of salt. But in a really severe winter, the Council uses much more.
• The Council is committed to providing an efficient winter service and aims to keep the most important roads safe and as free as possible from wintry hazard. To do this, precautionary salting is carried out by a fleet of 23 gritters working on primary routes covering over 600km (around 67%) of the road network.
• Primary salting routes are made up of classified roads, most bus routes, major through routes between towns, villages and large residential areas and routes to emergency service premises.
• 80% of all salt spreading operations take place between 6pm and 9pm and between 5am and 8am.
• Ice is most likely to occur between 6am and 8am
• The gritters treat the roads approximately 65 times during an average winter.
• A list of roads included in primary routes can be found on the council's web site