Hertfordshire Council announces gritters are on standby as temperatures are set to fall

Hertfordshire County Council has announced that its gritting teams are on standby as winter begins.

Since October started gritting teams have been on standby 24 hours a day, the council confirmed.

The local authority has revealed a fleet of 58 gritters will be used on Hertfordshire roads this winter.

A council spokesperson said: Gritter crews and decision makers from our highways team will be ready around the clock to cover nearly half of Hertfordshire's entire road network – that’s more than 1,500 miles (2,500km).”

Typically, the council sends gritters out when road surface temperatures are forecast to be 0.5°c, or below.

Councillor Phil Bibby said: “October is the beginning of our winter season, and we make sure our gritters are ready, our salt stocks in the depots are high and that the county’s 1,000-plus salt bins are topped up before freezing weather arrives. Our crews will be on standby 24 hours a day until the end of April, ready to deal with whatever the weather throws at us.

“We don’t know how much, if any, snow and ice we’ll see this winter, but I am confident that our highways teams are ready, and we will do everything we can to keep the county’s roads open and safe, whatever the weather.”

Where roads are accessible the council aims to grit roads to schools care homes, doctor’s surgeries, key pharmacies and libraries, as well as all the county’s A and B roads, bus routes.

The council adds that it supplies salt to schools when requested. District, borough, and town councils can also request supplies. Community groups and residents associations can also access free gritting salt, Hertfordshire County Council has recorded over 300 entries.

Applications for gritting salt can be made on the council’s website until 31 October.

This year, QR codes have been added to 58 new salt bins across the county, and will be added to existing bins as they are topped up.

The council also provides information online showing which gritters take and provides updates on social media using #grittertwitter.