See priority gritting routes
We have ten priority routes which cover major roads. These roads lead to fire stations/hospitals and cover bus routes.
These routes get treated before a forecast of ice or snow. This takes approximately three hours to complete.
Priority routes are always under review and changes may be made.
We also prioritise requests from the emergency services. For example, where a patient needs transporting for life-saving treatment.
When we expect settling snow, we also fit ploughs to winter maintenance vehicles. Once traffic is flowing on our priority routes, we will then continue across the borough.
Winter Service Manual - Public Travel Advice
During icy or snowy weather, we advise all road users to use the main gritted routes, which include the borough’s A roads, B roads, selected C roads. Some unclassified roads are also gritted, particularly where they form part of a bus route or provide essential access to hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, shopping areas, schools or other key community services.
These roads form the Council’s Priority Gritted Network and are the only sections of the network that receive routine precautionary salting.
In addition to these Priority routes, Secondary - or community routes - are also gritted in advance of predicted snow, however these routes are not routinely gritted and during wintery conditions resources will be directed to the Priority routes. These routes are prioritised because of their importance to the free flow of traffic and essential journeys during severe weather.
Many rural lanes, minor roads and other low priority routes are not routinely gritted and may become icy or hazardous. If you normally travel on untreated rural roads, you may need to use an alternative route via the gritted network, and you should allow extra time for your journey, especially during peak periods or prolonged cold weather.
All salting routes (including footways) are listed in this manual. During winter please plan your journey carefully, stay on gritted routes wherever possible, and drive according to the conditions.
Read the Highways Winter Service Manual
