Common winter service Q&As
Message from East Herts District Council
We are now well into the winter service, having sent gritters out across the network several times recently. Based on information and questions that we have received in the past, we have prepared below responses to the most commonly asked questions that the service receives during the winter service period. Whilst the below is a snapshot of some of the more common questions, more detailed information can be found on the website on our winter weather pages.
Potholes/repair
At the weekend, we also launched a dedicated winter potholes page, which provides some context as to why potholes may occur more frequently at this time of year, and to encourage people to report them online. In addition, as asphalt plants close each year for the Christmas season (this year between 20 December and 8 January), we may need to carry out temporary pothole repairs during this period which will be revisited during January for permanent repairs where required.
Common winter service Q&As
When are the gritters going out?
Our gritting decisions are based on agreed intervention levels. When road surface temperatures fall below 0.5 degrees Celsius, we will typically be out gritting. Other factors such as residual salt, wind, and precipitation (rain) are also taken into account when determining when we go out and how much grit we spread. We aim to grit in advance of any hazards forming, and also avoid rush hours wherever possible.
Why are you gritting when it’s not that cold out?
Our gritting decisions are based on road surface temperatures, which are often lower than air temperatures during the winter season. Additionally, as we aim to grit in advance of hazards forming, we typically go gritting before the coldest part of the day or night.
Why are you gritting here but not there?
HCC have defined their network into Primary, Secondary and Non-Gritting Routes. This hierarchy is set out in our Winter Service Operational Plan and can be found at Gritting routes | Hertfordshire County Council. This has been done to ensure we can keep the highest priority routes as clear as possible during the winter season, whilst operating within existing budget constraints.
Will you grit pavements?
HCC do have a footway hierarchy which is set out in our Winter Service Operational Plan. However, our routine gritting runs focus on our Primary Network which is made up of our highest priority carriageways. We may carry out local footway clearance during severe weather if resource allows, or request assistance from District & Borough Councils.
Footways are not currently routinely gritted, although we do run our Winter Self-Help Scheme where all schools, Parish/Town Councils and Community/Residents Groups can apply for up to 1 tonne of ‘free’ salt every year. This is intended to help with local footway clearance and is supplemented by just over 1,200 salt bins around the county.
Where are the grit bins?
We have just over 1,200 grit bins around the county and their locations can be found at, Salt bins in Hertfordshire | Hertfordshire County Council. Each Member can apply for up to 2 new grit bins in total, which have to meet a certain criteria for approval. It should be noted that there are some grit bins on the highway network that are not owned by HCC; historic bins are sometimes owned by District/Borough Councils or resident rgoups. These will not be routinely maintained or refilled as they do not form part of HCC’s inventory and are not budgeted for.
When will you refill the grit bins?
We refill every grit bin that requires it at the start of each winter season. Additionally, if we encounter a period of severe weather or snow, we may carry out a further refill mid-season.
Why is the gritter speeding?
Our gritters should not be speeding. Due to the nature of the vehicles – heavy, flashing lights with grit being spread quickly out of the back, it can sometimes appear that the vehicle is moving more quickly than it is. All our gritters are GPS tracked so we can monitor speed, spread rate and location, amongst other aspects of the operation.
Why is the gritter out on the road but not gritting?
We have a fleet of 70 gritters that cover 2,500km each time we go gritting. The average length of a gritting route is around 35km (just over 20 miles), but the gritter doesn’t necessarily start its route as it leaves our highways depots. Therefore, if you see a gritting vehicle that is not gritting, it is most likely driving to its gritting route or returning from a gritting run to a depot.
