Gritting and snow clearance

When there is a risk of ice (usually this is where the temperature is forecast to fall below 1 degree centigrade), we aim to grit roads before ice forms. 

When snow is forecast we aim to grit main roads and routes to accident and emergency hospitals before the snow falls. 

After snow has fallen, we work to clear the roads. We start with main roads and designated routes to accident and emergency hospitals, then major commuter routes, busy bus routes and routes to secondary schools.  We may have to return to these routes even after starting to clear other roads if they start to freeze again or if new snow falls.

To assess the likelihood of snow or ice and decide when to grit, we use a computerised system that takes road surface temperatures and other information from sensor sites around Cheshire East, plus Met Office weather forecasts.

It is never safe to assume a road is free from ice, because:

• we only grit the roads included in our winter treatment network, so many roads are never gritted
• sometimes ice forms even if it was not forecast
• when the forecast changes at short notice, we may not have time to cover all the roads on our gritting routes (it takes 4 hours to treat the network)
• rain can wash salt away (so we don't grit when it is raining)
• in the evenings, we normally grit after the rush hour - if rain turns to snow during the rush hour, we may not be able to treat roads because of the traffic
• even salt does not stop ice forming when the temperature is below -8 degrees centigrade
• salt does not instantly remove snow or ice - the action of traffic is essential to break down the salt granules to form a saline solution which lowers the freezing point of the water

For winter driving advice, see Cheshire Fire Service winter road safety tips.

Gritting and clearing pavements

We do not treat footways, they would only receive attention when the condition is likely to persist for a continuous period and if resources are available.

We will clear heavy snow from pavements in locations such as town centres.

We assess the provision of grit bins on a variety of factors including the gradient, proximity to bends and junctions, number of properties, and whether the road was previously included on a gritting route.

You can use the salt in the bins on public roads and pavements. You cannot use it to grit your own property.

For more information view our grit bins webpage.

We do not treat footways, they would only receive attention when the condition is likely to persist for a continuous period and if resources are available.

For advice on what you can do to clear paths, driveways and the pavement outside your property, see the advice issued by the Department of Transport. There is no law stopping you from clearing pavements. It is unlikely you would be legally responsible for any injuries on the path if you have cleared it carefully.