Wiltshire has the grit - but needs to use it.

8.40.00am GMT Wed 23rd Dec 2009

Following the difficulties the council had in keeping up with the Wiltshire weather last winter, Lib Dem councillor Trevor Carbon recently asked the leader of Wiltshire Council (WC) if we had enough grit for the winter. Here's her reply:

"The roads are generally treated with salt rather than grit in the winter. Salt stocks have been kept at a consistent level for many years now, and are topped up as necessary. Holding large stockpiles of salt can be expensive as it deteriorates over time and has to be replaced. In recent years the trend has been for less salt to be required.

Last year the supply of salt became a national problem. Wiltshire was in a better position than other counties because of its stockpile, but it was still necessary to conserve salt towards the end of the season.

It is not feasible to treat the whole highway network. The main road network remains the priority, and drivers must drive according to the conditions.

Currently the county holds enough salt to deal with an average winter. Our suppliers will supply further salt if required.

Salt supplies should be adequate based on the weather anticipated this winter. Increasing the stockpiles of salt and vehicles needed to spread it would be expensive and would divert funds from maintenance of the network.

Council staff and contractors will be working hard in difficult conditions during the winter to keep our roads safe."

Your comment - 23 Dec. "If Wiltshire indeed does have the grit it would have been a kindness if they'd had actually been using it. On the 20th Dec I was leaving Everleigh and we ended up having an accident due to the ice on the roads. As a result the car was written off and we had a very lucky escape. Within 10 minutes of our accident another occurred further down the road that was considerably more serious resulting in a women being cut out of her car. Both of these incidents could have been avoided had the roads been gritted."