Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

WC has issued a briefing note for councillors.

Total salt stock at the start of the season was at least 10% more than previous years at 9000 tonnes.

A typical winter salt usage for precautionary treatments is 7000 tonnes.

Prior to Christmas, replenishment supplies were ordered for delivery in early January.

Approximately half was delivered and the remainder was diverted elsewhere by the Salt Cell and alternative suppliers sought.

Before Government suggested a reduction in usage and the Salt Cell operational we had already instigated procedures to reduce usage whilst maintaining our extended precautionary routes open and useable.

Throughout the period we have maintained 2010km (nearly half the total network) in a reasonable state for safe passage by the judicious use of salt and appropriate decisions.

We have blended grit at 2/1 with salt for use on minor roads and where snow was continually an issue, also for grit bins, school and leisure centre accesses, HRC’s and waste site accesses as well as town centre footways.

We have taken careful decisions about when and where to salt and at what spread rate as well as reducing the spreading width where appropriate.

These factors have enabled us to maintain a large proportion of the network whilst reducing the salt usage by some 40% over ‘normal’.

Any reduction in the treated network would severely affect the community and the ability of other services such as refuse collection.

We are anticipating deliveries of salt by alternative suppliers over the next few days.