Highways maintenance teams are checking gullies and drains as part of the council’s winter preparedness plan in Blaenau Gwent.
Alongside gully clearing, all salt bins are being checked and refilled ready for winter.
The Council has a stock of 3,400 tonnes of salt, five large gritting vehicles which can be fitted with snow ploughs, and two smaller gritting vehicles, and a standby work force ready to react to changing conditions 24 hours a day throughout the winter.
The service is staffed by a core of 30 drivers and officers on call a week at a time, supported by our Transport Maintenance Unit who maintain the gritting vehicles.
Weather forecasts are received three times a day, and road temperatures are monitored by a series of weather stations across the borough. This allows the council to grit roads only when needed, and when it is most effective to do so.
All A and B roads, main bus routes, main distribution routes and routes in proximity to schools, industrial and retail areas are prioritised and will be treated on a precautionary basis when forecast conditions dictate, with other areas such as side roads and council owned car parks gritted in severe weather as and when resources allow.
There are over 600 salt bins located across the borough for residents to use on adopted footways and side roads in their local areas. The council reminds residents to use the salt responsibly – a thin layer, spread evenly on surfaces that has been cleared of any snow first is usually all that is needed to be effective.
Councillor Tommy Smith, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services and the Environment said:
“We are getting ready for winter and we’d encourage communities to be prepared, too. There’s some great advice online here.
“I would also ask residents to keep an eye on the drains where they live or travel within the borough and report any blockages as soon as possible. We are out routinely checking but a blockage can happen suddenly and we rely on the community to be our ‘eyes and ears’ so that we can respond to any issues early.
“When it comes to the cold weather, we currently precautionarily salt around 48% of our highway network each time ice or snow is likely to form on the road surface. However, despite our best efforts, given the unpredictability of the weather, it’s not possible to keep roads completely free from ice and snow at all times, so we would like to remind drivers to take extra care over the winter months.”
Residents can see gritting routes and find their nearest grit bin here.
Sign up to receive flood warnings from Natural Resource Wales.
Report a drainage issue to us through My Services; the Blaenau Gwent App or call 01495 311556.
To report a damaged or empty grit bin call 01495 311556. Grit bins are only supplied for use on adopted roads and footways.
