Oxfordshire Council Enhances Winter Preparedness with New Salt Storage and Gritting Fleet

A local authority has commenced operations at a newly constructed £2.8 million facility designed for the storage of thousands of tonnes of gritting salt. Oxfordshire County Council stated that the salt barn, situated at the Deddington highways depot near Banbury, in conjunction with an updated fleet of gritting vehicles, is intended to enhance road safety throughout the winter period. The facility possesses a capacity for 2,800 tonnes of road salt, and its completion ensures that all salt within the county can now be stored under cover, eliminating the need for uncovered storage locations. Andrew Gant, who serves as the council’s lead for transport management, conveyed to the BBC his sentiment of being “pleased and proud” regarding the “fantastic” facility. The recently acquired fleet comprises 16 26-tonne trucks, 11 18-tonne vehicles, two 7.5-tonne trucks, and a single 3.5-tonne unit referred to as a “baby gritter,” specifically designed for treating extremely narrow roads and park and ride locations. Overall, the council engages 60 specialist drivers and maintains a total reserve of 10,000 tonnes of road salt, with additional storage barns located in Drayton and Woodcote. Mr. Gant commented: “All the salt in Oxfordshire is now kept under cover… it’s much better for the environment because the rainwater doesn’t wash it away.” Jiles Walby, a gritter driver, stated that he and his fellow workers were “out to make the roads safe”. He added: “With the new fleet, we’ve got vehicles that are a lot more high-tech and advanced,” and further remarked, “It’s like driving a Rolls Royce compared to the old fleet.” Gritting operations were deployed 25 times between November 2023 and March 2024; however, the average deployment frequency over the preceding six years stands at 37. Mr. Gant clarified: “[The drivers] are on a rota so they are ready to go the moment they get the word from the county council.” He further elaborated, “It’s all done overnight so it’s ready in the morning for when people need to use the network.” Richard Lovewell, the business director for Milestone Infrastructure, the council’s highways maintenance contractor, expressed gratitude to the staff who had “gone above and beyond to ensure we are winter ready, and especially to those who go out every year in challenging conditions to keep our network moving”. While the new gritting vehicles currently lack individual names, Mr. Gant indicated that the council intends to collaborate with the local community to identify suitable monikers for each vehicle. Information on following BBC Oxfordshire is available on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Details concerning their external linking policy can be reviewed.