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27
Sept 2020
More efficient gritters to save County Council £120,000
As winter approaches, North Yorkshire County Council says its fleet of gritters will use less salt and spread it more accurately, saving money. Its annual budget for gritting though is £6million.
North Yorkshire County Council gritter.
North Yorkshire County Council has approved plans to make its gritting service more efficient which could save £120,000 this year.
The authority’s Business and Environmental Services Executive backed the proposals which it says will see gritters spread salt more accurately and reduce the average age of its fleet.
The measure will see the council gritters move to a new, lower, minimum salt spread rates as outlined in the UK Roads Liaison Group’s guidance.
True grit - facts about North Yorkshire gritters
- With an annual gritting budget of £6 million, the county council grits 4,440km of road and make 6,687 runs in a typical year. Around 6,287 routes were treated last year.
- The county's gritters are responsible for one of England's largest road networks.
- With 86 gritters, 107 farm contractors, five road snowblowers and seven footway snowblowers at its disposal, the county council is able to treat roads between October and April.
- 55,000 tonnes of salt is stocked in preparation for winter and the authority has 14 weather camera set up to keep an eye on the roads.
- Crews are on call 24 hours a day and are usually out at 5am to grit the county's road network.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for highways, said the savings had been made possible by investing in modern equipment :
"As the county council invests in modern equipment like ploughs and gritters, so we can introduce fine adjustments to our methods, thereby making valuable savings for our taxpayers, whilst continuing to deliver one of the most comprehensive winter gritting services in the country.”
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Meanwhile, David Bowe, corporate director of business and environmental services (BES), said:
“We are moving to a more efficient and cost-effective way of delivering our service based on a review of national research and improved technology.
“The last time our spread rates were fully reviewed was over 12 years ago and advances in technology mean we can still deliver a comprehensive service but in a more cost-effective manner.
“We’ll always ensure our salt spread rates are appropriate for weather conditions. With routine treatments during milder winters the saving could be around £120,000 for the coming winter season. We will be able to utilise any efficiency savings on other essential council services.
“Any savings will depend on the weather conditions as no two winters are the same. We can spend between £6 million and £10 million delivering our winter service. Salt accounts for around a third of that cost. Please be assured that these changes will not compromise the safety of our roads.”
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