Council Stocks Up On Gritting Salt For Winter

Wrexham Council has stocked up on 8,000 tonnes of salt to avoid a repeat of the winter of 2009 when the authority came within 100 tonnes of completely running out.

Wrexham salt levels now exceed last year’s levels by 1,000 tonnes meaning that the town is better prepared for the exceptionally cold winter conditions experienced during the last three years which saw high levels of snow and ice across the UK.

Last year’s stocks rose by 43% to 7000 tonnes ahead of winter and now this year’s top that rising a full 64% on 2009.

The Welsh Government and local authorities across Wales have been preparing extensively in case similar conditions to recent years occur this winter.

Wrexham Council covers 11 priority routes encompassing 40% of the authority’s 1,140km (700 miles) road network which will be gritted when cold weather is forecast and the authority has also taken on new drivers and bought one new gritting truck.

Over the last year new storage facilities for salt have been purchased and brought into use across Wales and new guidelines issued to preserve stocks and make sure they are used effectively.

£7 million in additional funding was also announced this year by Local Government Minister, Carl Sargeant for potholes and extra salt supplies, leading many councils to reach record salt stock levels.

Wrexham AM Lesley Griffiths, who has liaised with the council to ensure salt stocks are adequate, said: “In Wrexham there is now more salt stored than last year and even more than used during the whole of the winter of 2009/10 – the coldest winter on record since 1982.

“I am proud of the role played by both the Welsh Government and local authorities in making sure we are prepared to keep Wales and Wrexham moving throughout this winter.”