Severe winter weather - frequently asked questions

Responsibility

Who is responsible for gritting the roads?

Bristol City Council as the Highway Authority has a statutory duty and moral obligation to keep the adopted public highway in a safe condition, including winter gritting for ice and the removal of snow as far as is reasonably practical.  The Highways department has a Winter Service Team, operating from October to April, who monitor weather forecasts and road conditions and decide whether preventative or reactive treatments are required.

Where does the grit come from?

The material used to grit the roads is actually 6mm rock salt that comes from underground supplies in Cheshire.  The rock salt is 90% soluble sodium chloride. 

Who carries out the gritting?

Road treatments are carried out by an external contractor, May Gurney, from a base at Hartcliffe with a secondary base at Sea Mills.  The contractor uses a fleet of eight vehicles and grits about 30% of the road network in Bristol.  The gritters are on standby 24/7 from  November 1 to March 31.  This period can be extended if necessary.

Road clearance

Which roads get gritted in the city?

We have a Winter Service Plan that sets out the roads to be treated to prevent the formation of ice.  If snow is forecast the rate of salt spread is increased to melt the snow and prevent the formation of ice.  Roads are pre-treated in a priority order as follows:

• Principal roads.
• Major routes and commuter routes.
• Major bus routes.
• Roads around hospitals and emergency services.

Please note that it isn't always possible to carry out precautionary pre-salting on some or all routes due to vehicle breakdowns, driver illness and short or no notice of frost and ice conditions

Ice

Initial reactive treatments follow the same priority routes as for precautionary salting. However, if conditions are particularly severe, treatments may be extended to include additional routes, depending upon resources available. We also liaise with all necessary agencies to prioritise work depending on the local conditions at the time.

Snow Removal

Combined salting and ploughing is used for the removal of snow over 50mm deep. In exceptional circumstances additional labour and plant will be directed to assist with snow clearance.

Can I view a map showing roads that will be gritted?

View our Priority winter gritting routes map (pdf, 1.3 MB).

Can the public close a road?

No, roads can only be closed by the council or the emergency services.

When does the council close a road?

We close a road when it is considered to be unsafe.  Road closures may also be made at the request of the police.

Who is responsible for road closures?

Our Network Management team are responsible for road closures.

Weather warnings

Who do you rely upon for weather updates?

The weather forecasts are provided by MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association.  24 hour and two to five day forecasts are provided at mid-day each day from October 1 to April 30.  Evening updates are provided if necessary.

Grit bins

How can I find out where my nearest grit bin is?

There are over 750 grit bins strategically placed around the city on minor routes and hills.

You can search for your nearest grit bin.

When was the last time my grit bin was filled?

Grit bins are checked and filled if necessary before the winter, usually during October.  Damaged and missing bins are replaced.

Do they get re-filled once empty?

Yes, they can be refilled on request but in periods of extreme weather when all bins are empty we check and refill all of them.

If your grit bin is getting low, or yours is missing, call customer services on 0117 922 2100.

Can I request a grit bin?

There will be approximately 750 grit bins in the city and the policy is not to install new ones except in exceptional circumstances.

Pavements and cycle paths

Do the council clear pavements?

Wel will take action to clear some pavements during a prolonged spell of snowfall, after three or four days.  The priority will be areas of heavy pedestrian use to enable people to get to work and shopping for essential supplies, plus Elderly People’s Homes, health centres, schools and hospitals.    

How do I clear the pathway in front of my house?

Tips and advice on clearing snow and ice

• Start early - it's much easier to clear fresh, loose snow compared to compacted ice that has been compressed by people walking on it.
• Don’t use hot water - this will melt the snow, but may replace it with black ice, increasing the risk of injury.
• Be a good neighbour - some people may be unable to clear snow and ice on paths from their property.
• If shovelling snow, think where you are going to put it so that it doesn’t block people’s paths or drainage channels.
• Make a pathway down the middle of the area to be cleared first, so you have a clear surface to walk on.
• Spreading some salt on the area you have cleared will help stop ice forming - table salt or dishwasher salt will work, but avoid spreading on plants or grass as they may be damaged by it.
• Pay particular care and attention to steps and steep gradients.
• Use the sun to your advantage - removing the top layer of snow will allow the sun to melt any ice beneath; however you will need to cover any ice with salt to stop it refreezing overnight.
• If there's no salt available, sand or ash are good alternatives.

What’s the legal position if I clear the pathway in front of my house?

Last winter many people helped keep pavements and public spaces around their homes clear of snow. However, many people were put off doing so because of fears of being sued.

The law on clearing snow and ice from public spaces

There is no law stopping you from clearing snow and ice on the pavement outside your property, pathways to your property or public spaces.  If an accident did happen, it's highly unlikely that you would be sued as long as you:

•  are careful
•  use common sense to make sure that you don't make the pavement or pathway clearly more dangerous than before.

People using areas affected by snow and ice also have responsibility to be careful themselves.

Are cycle paths gritted in severe weather?

We aim to grit the most heavily used footpaths and cycle paths.

Where can I find out information about affected services if there is severe weather?

Tune into your local radio station where there will be regular updates.

Or visit our website www.bristol.gov.uk/snow.

Potholes

What gets done about the potholes that emerge after the thaw?

Extra response teams are mobilised to repair potholes.  The normal period for repairing a pothole is 10 working days unless it is deemed to be dangerous.  Potentially dangerous potholes are repaired within 24 hours.

Council housing land

During severe winter weather, Landlord Services may lay grit or clear snow from some communal paths on housing land. (These are pathways, which are shared by a number of residents on land that is owned by Landlord Services. This does not include roads, pavements or public footpaths). This service will be limited to a number of blocks or schemes (pdf, 49 KB) with very high numbers of elderly or disabled tenants.

The decision to provide a gritting service will be taken by the Service Director for Landlord Services and/or the Caretaking Services Manager. Please view the summary of our gritting policy (pdf, 30 KB), which sets out what services we will and will not provide.  See Winter maintenance for roads, highways and pavements for more information about gritting.

Please note that if the decision is made to grit, it will take several hours for staff to reach all of our priority sites in order to lay grit or clear snow. It is also important to remember that even if paths have been gritted this is no guarantee that they are 100% safe.