Council are 'fully prepared' for winter months ahead - The Solihull Observer

Council are 'fully prepared' for winter months ahead

Solihull Editorial 24th Nov, 2015 Updated: 24th Oct, 2016   0

AS THE temperature continues to fall, Solihull is preparing to batten down the hatches.

The Council and its highway delivery partner, Balfour Beatty Living Places, are finalising the gritting and snow clearing plans to keep the borough’s roads moving.

The service will see the gritting team on-call 24/7 until March with nine state-of-the-art vehicles and 4500 tonnes of road salt ready at their Moat Lane depot.

When the temperatures get low and the surface temperature of the road dips, the nine gritters will be sent on their routes which cover 56 per cent of Solihull’s roads.




Richard Fryer, contract director for Balfour Beatty Living Places, said his teams were trained and standing by to keep Solihull’s residents and businesses moving throughout the winter.

Coun Ted Richards, Cabinet member for Transport and Highways, echoed Mr Fryer saying Solihull was ‘fully prepared’ this winter.


He added: “We did not run out of salt at all last year and, with 4,500 tonnes in stock for this year, we are confident we have enough to see us through the next few months.

“During recent winters our staff have done a superb job gritting our roads and keeping our salt supply plentiful – I have no doubts that they will yet again rise to the challenge this time around.”

Top winter tips:

* Just because a road has been gritted, it is not completely safe to drive on. Drivers are encouraged to keep speeds low, avoid heavy breaking and keep distance from other vehicles in icy conditions.

* Remember to check vehicles before the weather gets cold including tyre pressures and antifreeze levels.

* Carry a winter emergency kit in case of breakdown in cold weather.

* Local authorities will use the Twitter hashtag #WMGrit to keep residents up to date with the latest winter weather news.

* Residents can do their bit to keep side roads and pavements safe using one of the 247 grit bins in the borough. More information and the location of these bins can be found on Solihull Council’s website at www.solihull.gov.uk/gritting

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