Snow

With more snow last night and more expected today along with freezing temperatures, I thought it would be helpful to explain what the council's approach is to clearing roads and gritting during this weather.

First, I've received assurances that there is enough grit to see us through the worst of the weather over the next few days.

The approach the council takes is to grade roads into three categories. Category one and two roads are prioritised for gritting. These are the main roads, bus routes, town centre roads and those roads around hospitals.

This work can be slow and street cleaning staff are taken off their normal work and are tasked with distributing grit and sweeping snow. The council does try to do as many streets as possible, but the priority is to keep traffic and public transport moving. February last year showed what happened if the main roads weren't cleared often enough. Having a decent amount of traffic is critical to ensure that the salt put out on the road actually works in removing the snow and ice.

If you have particular concerns about places that you think need griting please do get in touch or contact the council directly.

The main advice is to refer to the news and to heed the advice being given during this weather. Wrap up, take care and don't risk injuring yourself.

If you have vulnerable neighbours, try to take a few minutes to check they're OK.