(2) the priority to be given to gritting pavements during severe weather conditions.
Winter service, including decisions about the relative priority of salting carriageways and footways or the relative priority of ensuring access to services and buildings, is a matter for each local highway authority.
Advice on developing and operating a winter service strategy is included in the UK Roads Liaison Group’s code of practice for highways maintenance management, “Well-maintained Highways”.
The Highways Agency uses salt for the treatment of its network during winter and does not use grit.
The Highways Agency’s routine and winter service is delivered by its contracted service providers. The delivery of these services, including the purchase of rock salt, is paid for within lump sum payments covering a range of defined activities. The individual amount specifically spent on the purchase of road-salt is not readily discernable from the service delivery lump sum payments and cannot therefore be provided.
Annual salt usage for the strategic road network varies greatly according to the weather faced, typically ranging 150,000 to 300,000 tonnes per annum, at an average cost from domestic salt suppliers of approximately £20 to £25 per tonne.
An updated table has been placed in the Libraries of the House, which shows how many tonnes of salt local authorities estimate they have available, according to the local authority salt audit returns the Department for Transport had received at 10.00 am on 8 February.