Council’s Winter Preparations Are Well Underway

Summer may only just have drawn to a close but East Riding of Yorkshire Council is already well underway in its preparations to do battle against snowdrifts and ice.

This year’s battle against the winter weather will be boosted by the arrival of several new gritters and the use of a new £400,000 salt barn, while essential machinery and vehicles are being serviced ready for action.

Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader, said:

“Preparing for winter so far in advance must seem unusual but keeping the East Riding’s 3,500 kilometres of roads moving in spite of snow and ice is a huge task for this council.”

“We are in the process of ensuring the council’s fleet of snow ploughs, gritters and mobile snow blowers are serviced. Our drivers are trained and well rehearsed in the routes, and our salt barns are filled to capacity, in complete readiness for winter.”

This year the fleet of 21 gritters will be boosted by the arrival of four new ones to replace older vehicles.

A 60-strong team of gritter drivers have started their training, and next month will be carrying out test runs of the precautionary and secondary routes.

26 mobile snow blowers, acquired by the council last year to treat the busiest footways, are also being serviced and readied for action.

A new salt barn has been built at the Beverley Depot, financed through the council’s capital programme at a cost of around £400,000.

It has been filled with 2,750 tonnes bringing the total salt storage capacity across the council’s depots to 17,500 tonnes. Over the coming weeks, all the council’s salt barns will be re-filled.

Councillor Chris Matthews, said:

“The opening of this new salt barn is excellent news for the East Riding as it creates an additional capacity for the council to store salt for its 21-vehicle gritter fleet to carry out its winter operations.

“By strategically investing in the storage provision, the council is ensuring that its supplies are safeguarded and also allows the authority to benefit from advantageous rates when it restocks on salt during the summer.

“The increase in salt storage, along with the authority’s development of brine production using rock salt, supports pre-wetted treatments, which are more efficient than using salt on its own. This means the authority will be able to carry out 140 full precautionary network treatments from stock held within the winter depots.”

Salt bins are also being checked and re-filled where necessary, so if you see your local salt bin being re-filled this does not mean there is wintry weather forecast, this is all part of the council’s routine winter preparations.