Yorkshire councils face grit shortage crisis

Kirklees and Calderdale councils in West Yorkshire both say they have less salt in their stores than is needed for a full day's road gritting in heavy snow conditions. They are being forced to carefully ration what is left until emergency help arrives.

Across the region most councils are now only gritting priority routes in an effort to preserve stocks, many stating they simply do not know when more will arrive.

Leeds Council has been gritting primary roads only since Thursday night after watching its salt levels dwindle from 21,000 tons to 4,000 during the longest spell of freezing weather in almost 30 years.

Sheffield Council began the winter with 16,000 tons in stock and a plan that it should never fall below 9,000 tons. It currently has 1,700 tons in stock – enough for just three days - but is receiving small top-up deliveries each day.

In York, the city council last night announced a plan to mix its remaining rock salt with sand in an effort to make supplies last longer, warning motorists to take extra care as the move will reduce the grit's effectiveness. It currently has between two and six days' salt left, depending on the weather.

York Council's assistant director of maintenance services, Richard White, said: "Our supplier has confirmed a delivery of 100 tons of rock salt on Monday, but cannot guarantee any future deliveries beyond that date. On that basis, we have taken the decision to preserve our stocks as best we can."

Kirklees, which has by far the smallest supply left in the region, has already received one special delivery from the Government but its grit store last night contained just 167 tons of salt. The council said a normal grit run would use 250 tons.

A statement from Kirklees said: "With most of the country's local authorities needing salt, it could be some time before Kirklees gets a further supply, but everything will be done to avoid running out of grit altogether.

"The council's current supplies of grit are needed to keep the authority's priority routes and key areas open and safe.

"The remainder of the road network cannot be gritted at present and grit bins cannot be filled."

It added: "Priority routes to be gritted include major roads, main bus routes and steep roads that provide important links. Crews are also working hard to try to make sure key areas such as town and village centres, doctors' surgeries, health centres, hospitals, industrial estates, bus stations, schools and the homes of vulnerable residents are made as safe as possible."

Calderdale said it had 300 tons of salt left, including an emergency 100-ton delivery from the Highways Agency which arrived yesterday. A spokeswoman for the council said there was sufficient only for half a day's gritting if there was "significant heavy snowfall".

A statement said: "Calderdale has already used more salt in the last three weeks than for the whole of winter 2008-09. The council placed an order for the replenishment of its salt stocks before the Christmas break but the additional salt has still not been delivered. The service will be restored as quickly as possible once stocks of salt can be replenished. In the meantime... the council will only be able to provide a reduced service."

East Riding Council refused to reveal how much salt it had left in its stores, claiming it was not in its interests to do so.