LCC prepares for winter on the highways

A winter statement has been issued by the Labour-run Lancashire County Council regarding plans for gritting and dealing with cold weather on the highways:

During winter, we work hard to keep traffic moving on our main roads and to minimise delays and accidents caused by ice or snow. Of the 4,300 miles of roads we are responsible for, around a third are part of our priority roads for salting and snow clearing. Ideally, our gritters would treat every road in Lancashire, but in reality this is just not possible. Instead we identify priority roads and footways that will receive preferential treatment for salting and snow clearing to help keep our residents moving.

Our priority road network is made up of non-trunk motorways, 'A' roads and 'B' roads, which are routes in and out of towns, and single routes into villages. The Highways Agency is responsible for gritting the motorways.

We budget around £4million per year for the winter service, last year we spent £5.35m. It is a demand led service and when the winter weather is worse than average, the service will continue to be delivered. On the days when it snows, we can spend over £100,000 per day.

We have a number of resources which help us deliver the winter service including:

• 49 gritters operating across the county from 10 depots. They are all paired with a snow plough for use in severe weather.
• 32,000 tonnes of salt stockpiled across the county for this winter.
• Over 1,800 grit bins and salt heaps in key locations around the county to help keep public areas clear. We fill these before the start of winter and refill them as often as we are able to.
• 39 farmers and agricultural contractors who have equipment to carry out snow clearing and provide additional support during bad weather when our resources are stretched.

As usual, we are working closely with parish and district councils, businesses and local organisations to deliver a consistent message to the public about what they can do to prepare for winter and what we will do.

In response to confusion over what steps can be taken when clearing snow and ice, the government has issued advice, which explains that there is no law stopping you from clearing public spaces.

You can find out more about the winter service along with links to a mapping system which highlights the gritting routes, when we are gritting, winter weather advice and school closures by visiting:

www.lancashire.gov.uk – search for 'winter'.
www.twitter.com/lancashirecc - search #lancswinter.
www.facebook.com/lancashirecc