Bury Council’s winter service is currently in operation ready for any dip in temperature, and the gritters have already been out several times over the last couple of weeks.

The winter service runs from the start of November until the end of March and for the third year the service will have its base at neighbouring Bolton Council’s depot, improving opportunities for sharing resources should the need arise. 

To prepare for the prospect of another severe winter, Bury Council has ordered 2,500 tonnes of salt. As in previous years, coated salt will be used which sticks to the road surface better and is less corrosive. Around 300 salt bins are in place at known trouble spots across the borough, such as where there are sharp bends or steep inclines and where historically snow and ice have caused serious problems. 

Councillor Gill Campbell, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and regeneration, said: “All our salt bins are in place around the borough in readiness for any cold snap. However, residents need to be aware that we only provide these bins at key locations; we simply do not have the resources to respond to individual requests to provide them anywhere else. 

“Keeping these bins stocked takes a team of two people two full weeks so if we didn’t limit the number of bins we make available we wouldn’t be able to maintain them at times of need. 

“That said, residents can be confident that during any cold spell our winter service team will be doing everything they possibly can to keep the main routes through Bury clear. 

“It isn’t always possible, though, to prevent roads from freezing so motorists should always take extra care throughout the winter months. If it rains and then freezes, salt can be washed off the roads and ice can form very quickly.” 

Bury Council has a fleet of five gritting wagons, four in regular use and one on standby. When the full winter service is in operation, treatment is provided to both primary and secondary routes but during periods of prolonged severe weather it is sometimes necessary to treat only essential primary routes in order to conserve salt stocks.  

Primary routes are those which provide access through the borough. They help maintain movement across the country nationally, while locally maintaining access to critical services such as hospitals, ambulance stations and key points in the food and fuel distribution networks.  Secondary routes cover the remaining treated streets which are gritted when the normal winter service is in operation.

For information about the winter service for Bury and latest updates on gritting during severe weather conditions, visit www.bury.gov.uk/gritting. 

Should it prove necessary to delay or cancel any bin collections due to severe ice or snow, resources will be diverted from other services to get collections back on track as soon as possible. Advice will also be posted online atwww.bury.gov.uk/bincollections. For all the latest alerts from Bury Council follow us on Twitter.