Gritters are out as cold weather hits Cheshire East

20 November 2024

Cheshire East Council’s highways team are geared up to respond to winter as sub-zero temperatures arrive in the borough.

Vehicles from the council’s fleet of 20 gritters have been out treating routes across Cheshire East while highways teams are on standby 24/7 ready to respond to any weather-related emergencies.

As well as responding to snow and ice, the highways service is ready to deal with disruption caused by storms, with teams also prepared to face a challenge that is seen right across the country – an increase in potholes as winter sets in.

Councillor Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East Council’s highways and transport committee, said: “The winter months pose many challenges for our highways service, but our teams are well prepared and ready to respond to whatever the conditions may be.

“As temperatures drop, we often receive enquiries from residents wanting to know more about gritting and which roads receive treatment.

“In line with national guidance, our gritting routes consider the category and use of roads, the level of risk and whether the roads serve local amenities, which decides whether a road is gritted or not. 

“It means that while not every road in the borough can be treated, our 17 gritting routes cover 678 miles (1,091kms) of Cheshire East’s road network.

“As ever, I urge motorists to always drive to the conditions, especially when there have been exceptionally low temperatures, causing our roads to become icy.”

The council’s website carries detailed information about gritting routes for this winter, together with advice on what to do in the event of severe winter weather, and how to drive and stay safe in icy conditions.

Cllr Goldsmith said: “As we’ve seen in previous years – and as recent weather events in other parts of the world remind us – winter may also bring with it severe storms and flooding.

 “Again, our highways teams are ready to respond quickly to changing weather patterns and work with the emergency services, the Environment Agency and other agencies, to try to minimise the impact on our residents.

“Winter conditions also have a huge impact on the condition of our road network and heavy rain and freezing conditions can cause potholes to form. 

“This isn’t unique to Cheshire East and is a challenge that all councils face. We absolutely understand the frustration they can cause to residents and road users.

“We will continue to inspect roads and repair defects that meet our inspection policy requirements, and we do this on a priority basis, focused on key routes and according to the level of risk to road safety.

“We’ll be working hard to tackle this problem, and you may notice more of our repair teams working on our network, especially once we head out of winter into spring when an increase in potholes is seen right across the country.

“While our aim is to carry out permanent repairs on road defects, sometimes that is not possible due to factors including weather conditions. That means that some of the repairs we make are temporary to make sure that the road is safe.”

More information about gritting routes.