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Published on Thursday 08 December 2022

With the temperatures dropping, BCP Council is geared up to keep residents and visitors safe and moving this winter and is encouraging residents to plan ahead and prepare for the cold season.

The Highways maintenance team winter service operates from October to April and looks after 780 miles of roads in total across the BCP region. The Council has a stock of 3,600 tonnes of dry rock salt, a fleet of 12 gritting vehicles, and a standby work force ready to react to changing conditions 24 hours a day throughout the winter.

Weather forecasts are received three times a day, and road temperatures are monitored by a series of weather stations across the region. This allows the council to grit roads only when needed, and when it is most effective to do so. Residents can use the council’s mapping system to check whether their road is on a gritting route.

During snowy and icy weather, we prioritise clearing routes for buses and emergency vehicles and maintaining access to hospitals, schools and main roads. To keep our community running we encourage members of the public to be good neighbours and help clear snow and ice on the pavement outside their property, the pathways to their property or to any public spaces.

Remember to follow these tips when clearing snow and ice:

  • wear warm clothes and footwear with a good grip
  • try to clear snow or ice early. It's easier to move loose snow and the sun will help melt ice
  • use salt or sand - not water, as it will freeze, ordinary table salt can be used or you can buy bags of rock salt from DIY shops

Councillor Bobbie Dove, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Regulatory Services said,

"As always, we are fully prepared for what the winter throws at us and we would like to encourage residents to think about what they can do to prepare for the challenging winter months ahead.

"Consider a few simple steps to help prepare, such as making sure you have a separate battery pack in case power and mobile phone networks are affected during a winter storm. Weather-proof your home and garden by securing garden furniture and clearing guttering Make sure your pipes are insulated to keep the heat in , saving you money and reducing the risk of frozen pipes which can burst and cause flood damage. And checking your car is ready for winter is really important, check your tyres and use a screen wash additive to keep your windscreen free of winter road grime.

"By thinking ahead and having a plan of action – we can all be winter ready!"

For information on being winter ready, including preparing your home, business and vehicle for the coldest months of the year please check the Met Office for the latest updates, here

For more information on staying well over the winter months check the NHS web pages here

For more information on being weather ready please check here

For information on winter driving please check the RAC here

And finally, for more information on what BCP Council do in extreme weather please check here

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