Herefordshire Council Trials Expanded Gritter Fleet Ahead of Winter

Herefordshire Council has conducted initial trials of its expanded gritter fleet as personnel gear up for the winter season on the county’s road network. The eight recently acquired gritters, valued at £1.16 million, participated in dry runs throughout the county, operating alongside seven vehicles already in service. An additional £180,000 was allocated by Herefordshire Council for the upgrade of “outdated” weather monitoring and forecasting stations. According to a spokesperson for the local authority, these practice exercises are an essential component of the preparations aimed at ensuring the county’s “winter-ready” status. Simon Robinson, representing Balfour Beatty Living Places, the council’s contractor, stated that their team has also adapted to their updated weather forecast provider. Barry Durkin, the council’s cabinet member for roads, commented: “As we know from previous years, challenging conditions can arise very rapidly so whatever the weather, we encourage people to be aware of the forecasts and please always take care on our roads and pavements.” Considering its population, Herefordshire maintains a comparatively extensive network of priority routes, spanning 600 miles (966km) across the county. Additionally, there are 420 miles (676km) of secondary routes that receive treatment as required. This report was compiled by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, an entity that covers local councils and other public service bodies. For further updates, follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.