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Gritting, salt bins and winter road services

Salt bins, road gritting, treatment routes and advice on clearing snow from roads and paths.

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What information do councils use when deciding to grit?

The council receives weather forecasts from a meteorological service provider. These forecasts include predictions about road surface temperature, rain, and other weather conditions that could affect road safety, such as frost, ice, or snow. The council makes their winter treatment decisions based on the detailed weather forecasts from weather stations.

The weather stations are strategically placed around the county to monitor real-time weather conditions. These stations collect data on temperature, humidity, wind speed and rain, providing localised and accurate information.

The data from weather forecasts and weather stations is analysed by the duty winter officer to predict when and where winter treatments are required, in line with the ‘ERYC Winter Treatment Policy’.

The duty winter officer decides on the type and timing of winter treatments, which includes spreading salt on roads to prevent ice build up or using snowploughs to clear snow.

Once a decision is made, the council’s winter maintenance teams are dispatched to carry out the treatments. They follow set routes to ensure effective and efficient service in line with the ‘ERYC Winter Treatment Policy’.

What does the council do to keep our roads clear in winter?

Please watch the video below to find out more:

Which roads are treated in East Yorkshire?

Map of current gritting routes

How does the council decide which roads and footpaths to treat?

This Winter Service Plan sets out how the council as the Highway Authority for the East Riding of Yorkshire meets its policy for the treatment of its roads, footways and cycle ways during the winter period, enabling a safe passage for vehicles and pedestrians, minimising delays due to winter weather and ensuring operations are undertaken safely.

Does the council treat cycle paths?

Cycle routes are not specifically treated unless they form part of the treated carriageway or Strategic Footway Network.

What contingency plans are in place should a council run out of grit?

The 2010 Quarmby Review on Winter Resilience recommends that English highway authorities set a 'winter resilience benchmark' for councils of 12 days/48 runs-worth of salt ahead of each gritting season (October 1 to late March 1). The Department for Transport says these recommendations should be adopted.

To ensure that the council has enough resources to use these treatments, the winter services team monitors:

  • the way services are currently delivered and how well they can handle challenges
  • improvements that have been made within the winter service delivery
  • how salt is used in ongoing service and practical steps that can be taken to ensure it works well.

The council is able to comply with the statutory requirements and are also able to continue with the high standards of delivery set out in the Winter Plan. With the current enhance methods in place, ERYC hold over 12 days' worth of salt ahead at the start of each season.

The Department for Transport has a large strategic stockpile for use as a last resort, with a further strategic salt being held by the Highways Agency. Salt from the national stockpile, spread between depots throughout the UK, is released on a weekly basis to the councils which the Department considers are the most in need.

How have winter services been improved?

Improved gritter technology

  • The driver assistance systems allows the driver to concentrate on the driving, while the system itself manages the salt distribution on defined routes adjusting the spreading as required. This ensures greater safety, efficiency and economical consumption
  • Utilising pre-wetted salt technology which significantly improves the performance of the treatment and reduces the amount of salt required to prevent the formation of ice.

Improved meteorological service provision

Specific route-based forecasting is received form the metrological service and routes are treated based on the forecast risks. Only those routes identified as having risk(s) will be treated, reducing the amount of unrequired treatments.

Developed new methodology to allow for treatment of the Full Winter Network

Through improvements to the spreaders delivering ability and a risk-based rationalisation of the network, Winter Services are now able to treat both the Precautionary Network and the Secondary Network in an efficient and effective singular treatment.

Where is my nearest salt bin?

Salt bin locations are indicated on the map by a red circle.

Please note: some of the salt bins displayed on this map are privately owned, and are not maintained by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. If there is an issue with a privately owned salt bin, please contact its owner.

Access the interactive map via the button below:

Map of salt bin locations

Can I report a broken or empty salt bin or request a new salt bin?

The criteria for new salt bins:

When looking to place new salt bins, the council reviews a number of factors including the:

  • severity of any road bend
  • level of any additional risk, such as ditches, junctions, surface water, uneven surfaces
  • approximate traffic flows
  • approximate pedestrian volume
  • proximity to a school or public bus route
  • available space for the bin
  • location on an existing treatment route
  • proximity to nearby bins
  • slope of the road.

We will also consider any additional factors, such as the location of doctors surgeries, emergency services, hospitals, schools, designated elderly persons residences, churches.

Once placed, the use and treatment of the bin will be monitored. Bins will be removed in the following circumstances:

  • Underutilisation - bins found not to be used over periods of adverse weather
  • When the placement of the bin becomes unduly contentious
  • General and persistent misuse of the salt bin
  • Two, or more, acts of vandalism to the salt bin.

How often are salt bins refilled?

In order to best focus our resources and maintain low service delivery costs, we do not inspect every salt bin prior to the start of the season. We aim to target the most-used salt bins. By collecting data from previous inspections, and through reports from members of the public, we are able to concentrate on bins that need servicing.

Where can I use the salt from a salt bin?

You can use the salt in a salt bin to help with snow and ice on public roads and footpaths.

You must not use it for private driveways, car parks or other non-public areas.

Salt for private roads and properties can be purchased from local builders' merchants, who will normally deliver this to you.

How can I safely salt my road?

Follow this guidance to help you safely salt your road and footpath:

  • Consider your own health and safety at all times - wear appropriate clothing and footwear to keep warm and prevent falls. High visibility items also help you to be seen on the roads
  • If you have any health problems, consider asking for help from neighbours
  • Try to remove snow on a path (where possible) first before placing salt. This helps to stop residual water from freezing over
  • Do not obstruct paths or vehicle access with piles of snow
  • Salt can treat a wide area and does not need to be spread thickly. For example, an amount the size of a bag of sugar can treat a footway about 10 paces long
  • Use buckets or a wheelbarrow to transport salt over long distances
  • Avoid skin contact as road salt can cause skin irritation
  • Do not use water as it can change to ice and make the situation worse
  • Make sure you do not leave any of the tools, such as a shovel, you are using unattended or on the highway and clear them away after use.

You can find more advice on clearing snow from the Met Office (external website).

Can people be sued if someone falls on a path or pavement they have cleared?

The government has issued guidance saying that you can clear snow and ice from pavements yourself. It's unlikely that you will be sued or held responsible if someone is injured on a path or pavement if you’ve cleared it carefully.

GOV.UK - Clear snow from a road, path or cycleway (external website)

How do you let parents, carers and teachers know if a school is closed?

The council's Improvement and Learning Service update the School Closures directory as soon as a school closes due to adverse weather, and sends an email out to the School Closure email group.

Website

Please check the schools closure list to see if your child's school is closed due to adverse weather conditions:

East Riding Schools Closure List

Email

If a school is to close due to adverse weather the council's Improvement and Learning Service sends an email out to the School Closure email group. If you would like to contact the ILS about the School Closure email group please use the address below:

Email: ils.support@eastriding.gov.uk

Local radio

Local radio stations are informed of any school closures by the school so that they can broadcast the details and alert parents. The radio station should be informed as early as possible, and preferably before 7.00 am, to allow parents time to make childcare arrangements. Stations informed of school closures are as follows:

  • BBC Radio Humberside - 95.9 FM, DAB or online
  • Hits Radio - East Yorkshire - 96.9 FM, DAB or online
  • BBC Radio York - 95.5 FM (Filey area) 103.7 FM (Pocklington area), DAB or online
  • Greatest Hits Radio - 99.8 FM, DAB or online
  • Beverley FM - 107.8 FM, DAB or online
  • Bridlington Radio - online
  • This is the Coast - DAB or online
  • **Bridlington Gold Radio - online.

Social media

East Riding of Yorkshire Council Facebook page (external website)

East Riding of Yorkshire Council Twitter feed (external website)

Other methods

Some schools and nurseries use their own Twitter, email and text messaging feeds to inform their parents who have signed-up to accept notifications of plans to close their premises.

Please use the council's school finder if you want to check with a school what procedures are in place to notify of a school closure or to request notification:

East Riding School and Nursery Finder

Why do East Riding gritters have names?

Public engagement through social media is a modern day must. By attracting followers through comical posts, it allows more important information to be cascaded to a wider audience. It also promotes links to further resource and information to help keep everyone safe throughout the winter months.

Councillor Paul West “It's all a bit of fun but it makes our gritters more visible. I really hope people will spot the gritters out on the roads and smile and wave at our drivers.”

Where can I get further advice about staying safe during winter?

More about winter weather advice from the council.

There is also more information about keeping our roads clear and safe this winter from the Local Government Association:

Local Government Association: Your winter weather questions answered (external website)

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