Council gears up to cope with icy roads

VULNERABLE residents will become high priority for gritting this winter under changes to the way the borough’s resources are allocated in freezing condition.

Shopping areas, schools, health centres and areas that are home to high numbers of older people will all become priority sites scheduled for widespread gritting under new guidelines set by an annual review of services by Rotherham Borough Council.

An additional 100 salt bins will be provided at crucial sites over the next four years and 18 newly-recruited gritter drivers have also been recruited to tackle icy conditions this winter.

A spokeswoman from the borough council said that last winter’s severe weather had seen around 6,500 tonnes of grit and salt spread on the borough’s roads—compared to 3,500 to 4,000 tonnes most years—and prompted over 1,000 requests for additional salt bins.

Referring to the renewed plans to deal with another severe winter, she added: “Extra gritting and salt bins will be now provided by salt stored at the covered salt barn at the new Hellaby Depot.

“As the timing of the transfer of the Winter Services team from the existing Greasbrough Road depot to Hellaby is taking place during the possible on-set of bad weather, the authority has taken delivery of 2,000 tonnes of salt to Greasbrough Road and an additional 4,000 tonnes to fully stock the new salt barn at Hellaby.

“The new barn at Hellaby is also covered, allowing the salt to remain at the optimum moisture content for spreading.

“This, coupled with a finer grade of rock salt, should allow the council to reduce the rate of the spread applied as a precaution when frost or ice is forecast.

“In addition, when the Winter Services team does move to Hellaby, the spreading vehicles will be recalibrated to take into account the change in material being used.”