Statement of Winter Period
For 2008/09, the operational period for Winter Service starts on 10 November 2008 and ends on 5 April 2009. Winter Maintenance activities, including an extension of standby arrangements, will be conducted outside this period if weather conditions dictate.
The service we provide
To make sure that roads are safe, the 508 km of our busiest roads are treated with salt in advance of any forecasted frost or snow.
Specialised salting vehicles simultaneously spread salt on 10 planned routes. The priority network of roads is treated within the target time of upto 2¾ hours per route. The priority gritting network includes all principal and B class roads, as well as bus routes, access roads to hospitals, fire stations and known trouble spots. At times of severe frost, footbridges and town centre footways are also salted if appropriate.
Detailed information on road conditions is obtained from sensors on roads across the borough and from specific weather forecasts from the Meteorological Office. This information is used by our co-ordinator for Winter Road Services to ensure we undertake effective action.
The service you can expect
We attempt to salt the 10 priority routes before forecasted ice or frost occurs.
When settling snow is expected, ploughs are fitted to winter maintenance vehicles. Once traffic on the priority network is flowing freely, all available resources are deployed in twelve area zones across the borough. Priority is given to clearing snow and ice from areas where people are most at risk; such as near schools, sheltered housing and busier footways.
Whilst working within these zones, every effort is made to respond to individual requests for assistance received from residents and travellers.
We have placed salt bins at over 300 known trouble spots and steep locations to enable highway users to assist themselves.
The service we achieve
97.3% of all salting runs are completed within the allocated time.
Map showing salt bin locations and gritting routes
Statement of Winter Services Policy
Precautionary salting shall be carried out when ice formation on the highway can be reasonably anticipated from the daily weather forecasts and data from the Icelert stations. The network of roads to be treated will only include roads important to the free flow of traffic, e.g. Principal roads, other well used classified roads, bus routes, and access roads to hospitals and fire stations. Treatment will normally be completed prior to the morning rush hour. Where action is deemed necessary in Rotherham Town Centre on pedestrianised areas and footways this will be undertaken before the morning rush hour.
When conditions of laying snow pertain, then snow ploughing and associated salting will be undertaken with routes being cleared in the order of their traffic importance. Once the Priority Network of roads is clear then secondary action will be undertaken on more minor routes with the priorities for action being those areas where people are most at risk, e.g. sheltered housing, footways near hospitals, schools, etc. Available resources will be distributed evenly across twelve geographical zones.
Because of the geographical nature of the borough the busier pedestrian routes are widely spread in the outlying townships. Because of this it is not practicable to pre-treat these footways. Where appropriate salt bins will be provided in these areas and the footways will be treated as a priority during secondary action.
Salt bins will be provided and maintained for the "self-help" of highway users at sites which are known to be trouble spots not covered by salting routes or at very steep locations on the salting routes.
All winter action will be confined to highways maintainable at public expense and those highways which are to become maintainable.
During the review of this Winter Service Manual due regard was given to the Council’s commitment to equality with particular reference to our Corporate Equalities Strategy, Race Equality Scheme and the general duty to promote race equality.
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