We're ready for Winter

Wiltshire Council's winter maintenance team are prepped and ready to keep the county's roads running smoothly over the cold period.

After the end of every winter, council teams service 24 gritting vehicles, amend and test gritting routes, and develop closer working arrangements with parishes and other agencies.

The council has more than 13,000 tonnes of salt in stock strategically placed throughout the county in six storage sites. It also has weather stations in key areas that provide real-time information and assist in producing accurate forecasts to ensure gritters are sent out at the right time.

Bridget Wayman, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: "We have a dedicated team who work all hours necessary in very difficult conditions, and we are fully prepared for this coming winter.

"We can never predict how severe a winter will be, but the wealth of experience we have means we are in the best possible position should bad weather hit the county."

On average it can take up to 140 tonnes of salt to grit Wiltshire's A and B class roads and 230 tonnes to salt an extended list of roads during prolonged cold weather.

During severe weather local farmers also have an important role to play, with many clearing snow in their local areas when required.

During winter people can have updates on both the weather and road conditions on Twitter by following @WiltshireWinter and the main account @wiltscouncil.

As winter approaches, the council has also successfully implemented a salt bins recycling project, to keep its 1,600 salt bins throughout the county in good condition.

The project sees batches of damaged and end of life salt bins recycled to be used in other ways. The initial batch of 350kg, around 18 bins, has already been cleaned before recycling, processed and recycled, and the next 400kg batch, around 20 bins, is ready to go.

The council is also preparing another 500kg (around 25 bins) for processing, meaning around 1.25 tonnes of plastic will be diverted from landfill, and with the new winter season approaching, that figure will increase.

People can report empty salt bins via the MyWilts online reporting.