In case a cold snap hits

Members of the public are again being offered free bags of grit and rock salt next week as part of a town hall initiative to combat snow and ice this winter.

With winter now upon us, the council is offering residents up to 50 kilos of grit free of charge to help them clear frozen footpaths this winter.

Last year the council gave away more than 15 tonnes of grit to residents, community groups and neighbourhood watch co-ordinators. Transport spokesman Cllr Russell King said:
“If it snows this winter we will be working flat out to clear snow and ice from the borough’s roads and pavements, but with nearly 230 miles of road surface and 450 miles of pavements it is a huge task that always takes a fair amount of time to complete.

“There is a really fantastic community spirit in Wandsworth and we want to harness that. Many people have told us they are willing to help clear paths in their neighbourhoods, just as long as they have the tools to do the job. We are going to make sure they have.

“We will provide the salt and the grit and with the help of our community, working together we will aim to clear away the snow and ice much more quickly. Local people also have far greater knowledge of their own streets and neighbourhoods and are much better placed to clear ice from the front garden paths of vulnerable people living close by.”

Residents who want to take advantage of the offer should visit the council depot in Dormay Street between 10am and noon any day between Monday, November 11 and Saturday November 16 – bringing some proof of address to show they live in the borough. The depot’s postcode is SW18 1EY for people using sat-navs.

The council is also supplying sacks of grit to the borough’s 200 neighbourhood watch co-ordinators and has also expanded the number of salt bins across the borough so that local people have an immediate stock close at hand.

There are now 55 of these salt bins located around the borough, situated mainly in hilly areas where icy pavements can be particularly treacherous. To find the location of your nearest salt bin visit www.wandsworth.gov.uk/snow.

When snow has fallen, the priority is to keep the borough’s main roads clear of ice so that the emergency services and public transport can keep running. Particular attention is always paid to entrances at tube and railway stations, hospitals, OAP day centres, schools, care homes, clinics and nurseries.

The gritting of borough red routes and their adjoining pavements is managed by Transport for London - these include the A3, A24, A205, A214, A306, A3205 and A3220.

August 27, 2013