Calderdale gritters on patrol as borough prepares for cold snap

The Council has said that its gritting team have been out from 2pm treating primary and secondary roads ahead of potential wintry weather this evening and overnight.

Where will the gritters be out and how does the system work?

The Council reviewed its winter policy to make sure it complied with the new code of practice 'Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure'.

This aims to provide a safe, well managed and resilient highway network for all who use it.

Calderdale's winter policy gives priority to high use roads. Also, roads that access community facilities, such as hospitals, schools and shopping centres.

The winter service sees a move from specific guidelines to a risk-based approach.

Appropriate risks are determined from a wide range of evidence.

The priority for road gritting is based on route hierarchy and level of use. Main roads will be gritted before other routes.

Before, the Council’s gritting programme was based on custom and practice with no clear rules for the selection of routes.

The Council has said it cannot grit the whole of the road network in Calderdale, due to the time and cost involved.

At the moment, it grits over 600km of roads in the borough. Other routes will be added after extra gritters have been brought in and we have solved some access issues.

The review included checking what routes can be reached by gritters (access to some roads is narrowed by parked cars). Also, that a safe turning circle is available for the large gritting vehicles.

Other arrangements are being looked in to for roads that are too narrow for gritters to access. This may include the use of the Council’s Safer, Cleaner, Greener service fleet.

In severe weather, snow clearing work is done with the following priority:

A roads;

B roads;

remainder of the priority network.

Clearing and removing snow from roads depends upon the amount of snow and the conditions at any particular time.