Councils are preparing for a period of plummeting temperatures,
with 1.4 million tonnes of salt stockpiled across the country
ready to treat icy roads and pavements.
The Local Government Association’s (LGA) annual weather resilience
surveyfound that on average local areas had eight gritting
lorries as well as quad bikes, tractors and snow blowers on
standby for difficult conditions.
The Met Office has predicted a cold snap later this week, issuing
a Level 3 cold weather
alert along with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Sleet, snow and icy conditions are expected particularly in the
north and east of England.
95 per cent of councils have the same amount of salt stockpiled
as they did for last winter, with over half of authorities also
sharing their salt stocks with neighbouring councils.
The survey of 38 local authorities across the country also found
that:
- There is a lack of HGV drivers this winter, with 63 per cent
of councils finding it difficult to recruit and retain drivers.
Councils are using agency workers or retraining and redeploying
existing staff in order to tackle these shortages.
- The cost of salt has increased, with some councils reporting
that the cost of buying in new salt is 10 per cent higher than it
was last year due to the impact of inflation.
- Nearly eight in 10 councils were using GPS systems to speed
up the deployment of salt on roads, with two thirds equipping
street cleaners with salt to spread on pavements.
However, it hasn’t just been this cold snap where councils have
had to deploy their gritting fleets to protect local roads.
During the record breaking heatwave earlier this summer, nearly
half (43 per cent) of all councils had to use their gritting
fleets to treat roads to prevent them from melting and becoming
damaged from the effects of the heat.
The LGA is calling for long term funding for road repairs so
councils can meet these unexpected weather challenges, whilst
also tackling a nine year long road repair backlog.
Cllr David Renard, LGA Transport spokesperson said:
“As temperatures start to plummet, councils are ready to work
around the clock to grit roads and pavements to make sure that
people are kept safe and local communities can get out and about.
“Councils have stockpiled millions of tonnes of salt and are
using new and innovative technologies where they can to ensure
those areas that are most treacherous are kept clear and safe for
use.
“During these cold spells, it is the elderly or those who have a
respiratory disease who are more at risk of ill health and in
need of more support. As some people may choose to limit their
heating use due to the impact of rising energy bills, it is all
the more important that people check up on those that may need
more help. It could help save lives.”
Case studies:
East Sussex County Council:
The councils’ gritting fleet of 21 vehicles is being run on
Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), limiting its environmental
impact and helping to tackle the climate emergency.
Sunderland City Council:
The council has stockpiled 13,500 tonnes of salt as
well as installing temperature sensors on key routes in the city
to improve information about road surface temperatures.
Cambridgeshire County Council:
The authority is working hard to ensure cycle routes are kept
clear of ice, with 50km of cycle routes in Cambridge being
treated by two quad bikes to ensure cyclists can still get out
and about in the city safely.
Notes to editors
The LGA’s Local Highways Weather Resilience Survey 2022 is
available on our website. It was
sent to all 152 councils with responsibility for highways and
received responses from 38 (25 per cent) between October and
November 2022. All findings quoted in this release are based on
respondents only.
The latest survey of councils by the Asphalt Industry Alliance
found that councils face a 9 year long road repair backlog, which
would cost over £12 billion to tackle.
