West Berkshire winter road gritting service officially begins - BBC News

A council has officially begun winter gritting on its roads, with thousands of tonnes of salt ready for use.

West Berkshire Council is responsible for protecting 529km (328.7 miles) of main roads and 259km (161 miles) of minor roads from ice and snow.

It has 2,200 tonnes of salt available, 1,200 tonnes of which is kept at Chieveley Depot.

During last year's winter period, between October and March, 441 roads were gritted in West Berkshire.

ADVERTISEMENT

The council has a statutory duty to ensure safe passage along roads in its district.

It uses information from roadside sensors and detailed site-specific forecasts issued by forecaster providers when deciding whether to send gritters out.

It also salts specified sections of the footway network during prolonged hazardous conditions and when snow is forecast, though remote cycle paths are not treated.

A winter services duty officer is available 24 hours a day.

There are 30 available salt bins owned and maintained by the council, with 446 others owned and maintained by the parish and town councils.

The treatment of the M4 motorway and the A34 trunk road is the responsibility of National Highways.