Local authorities are well prepared for icy weather and have plenty of salt in stock this year, council chiefs say.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has reassured the public that councils are ready for plummeting temperatures and slippy roads with a substantial stock of grit.
During the winter of 2008-09, the UK ran ‘dangerously low’ on rock salt and councils were forced to ration it by treating only primary routes.
However, the LGA’s annual Winter Readiness Survey has shown that this year local authorities are ready for a harsh winter, with 50% of respondents reporting they are at the limit of salt storage capacity.
The survey also revealed 80% of councils have placed community grit bins for residents to access salt for pavements and side streets, and 75% are using state-of-the-art GPS technology on the gritting fleets.
‘Councils are fully prepared to protect residents and minimise disruption to their residents caused by the drop in temperatures,’ said LGA Transport spokesman Cllr Martin Tett.
‘We are well prepared for the cold with 1.2 million tonnes of salt stockpiled and a fleet of state-of-the-art gritters ready to be deployed.’
