Gritting

Where does the Council grit?

Gritting priority is given to three types of roads/routes and based upon the recommendations contained in a National Code of Practice.

• Priority A - Strategic routes and principal roads, important classified roads and bus routes.
• Priority B - All other classified roads, important unclassified roads and bus routes.
• Priority C - In prolonged periods of lying snow/ice, estate and minor access roads in hilly or exposed locations will be treated, and consideration given to important footway routes (shopping precincts, etc). Treatment of Priority C locations would only be considered when conditions dictate and when all other priorities had been fully and adequately treated and resources become available.

When does the Council grit?

The Council are recipients of a specialised winter weather forecasting service provided by the Met Office. The forecast, received on a daily basis, gives predictions of the possibility of freezing road temperatures, snow etc, and the time those conditions may occur.

Go to the Met Office website

In addition, throughout the winter season, an inspector is employed to check the accuracy of the forecast by measuring road surface temperatures. This enables decisions to be made if, or when, gritting is necessary. The aim is to treat Priority A roads before road surface temperatures fall to 0 degrees C and all Priority B roads by 7.30 am.

Do you provide grit bins?

There are currently 226 grit bins throughout the Borough in areas not normally subject to mechanical treatment, at hilly, exposed locations and potentially dangerous road junctions. Many of the bins are of a type and in a location that enable them to be in place throughout the year. The remainder are placed on site during mid to late October and removed early in April after the winter weather.

Requests for the provision of a grit bin are assessed and judged against a criteria. They are only provided if full justification can be shown.  To request a grit bin contact Customer Services.

Can a grit bin be removed?

Often grit bins become the focus of vandalism or the meeting place for youths. If this becomes an unbearable nuisance, a request for the bin to be removed can be made. The agreement of other residents in the area would be needed before the facility is withdrawn.

Are pedestrians routes gritted?

In very severe weather conditions, especially when snow or ice may remain for some days, consideration is given, in priority order, to the treatment of pedestrian routes - footways and pavements in the following order:

• Town centre streets/main pedestrian routes
• Shopping frontages
• Busy pedestrian routes
• Steep sections of footway/footpaths
• Predominately elderly residents areas

Highway winter service policy

Download the Council's Highway Winter Service Policy (PDF, 7 Pages, 45KB)

How to contact us