1.2 million tonnes of salt for councils

With the wintery weather affecting most parts of the country, councils have stockpiled 1.2 million tonnes of salt in preparation for further weather problems.

A Winter Readiness Survey, conducted by the Local Government Association (LGA), has found that half of the nation’s councils have already reached their limit for salt storage capacity. It also highlighted that 80 per cent have installed community grit bins so residents can salt pavements and paths themselves.

Gritters will be out treating thousands of miles of roads whenever overnight temperatures drop below zero.

Cllr Peter Box, LGA environment spokesman, said: “Councils are fully prepared to protect residents and minimise disruption to their residents caused by the drop in temperatures. They are constantly monitoring up-to-the-minute weather reports to make sure they can stay one step ahead of the weather. 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.

“As well as gritting our roads and clearing snow, council teams are ready to be drafted in to help provide a variety of services to ensure we are looking out for the more vulnerable members of our communities this winter, from carrying out emergency household repairs to delivering hot meals and portable heaters.”