We won’t be caught cold by the snow, say council (From The Bolton News)

We won’t be caught cold by the snow, say council

7:00am Sunday 29th November 2009

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COUNCIL bosses are gritting their teeth in anticipation of a tough winter — and have stock-piled 3,500 tonnes of salt to make sure they are not caught cold by freezing temperatures on the roads.

The £120,000 mound is stashed at Bolton Council’s grit headquarters in Ellesmere Street.

The council has also forked out another £70,000 to replace the oldest gritter in its nine-wagon fleet.

Last year bosses came under fire when the town was hit by heavy snow in early December, causing morning rush hour chaos.

Council chiefs said that because the snow fell in the early hours of the morning, there was insufficient traffic to break up grit which had been spread earlier in the night.

This year bosses say they are prepared as well as possible to deal with severe conditions.

A spokesman said: “We are better equipped than most authorities, however sudden heavy snow is very difficult to deal with even with the extensive operational resources available to us.

“We can never guarantee that disruptions will not occur, we can only promise to use all our resources to minimise impact on the travelling public.”

Bolton was unaffected by a national shortage of grit last year, but the council set up a “winter gritting scrutiny panel” in the aftermath of December’s white-out and asked road users for their views.

As a result of that, gritters are primed to work around the clock, covering a 320-mile network of roads in the town — and if the council’s grit stock drops below 2,000 tonnes, it will be topped up.

Dedicated “mini-gritters” will also work to keep the town centre clear for shoppers.

Cllr Ismail Ibrahim, executive member for environmental services, said the public’s recommendations had been used to improve an “already very effective service”. He added: “We are committed to providing the public with the best winter maintenance service, allowing traffic to travel the borough safely with minimum disruption.”

The council is also asking for drivers’ help in keeping roads clear. A spokesman said the way people parked their cars could cause problems on gritting routes and asked residents to use private driveways or alternative parking spots where possible.

The Met Office said it was expecting a mild winter but that temperatures in the North West are set to dip at the start of December.

It said frost was likely and there may be some snow on higher ground.

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