Free Grit For Residents
Free bags are part of the town hall’s annual winter initiative to tackle snow and ice
With temperatures set to fall in the coming weeks and months, the council is once more offering borough residents up to 50 kilos of grit free-of-charge to help them clear frozen footpaths.
Last year around 20 tonnes of grit was given to residents, community groups and neighbourhood watch co-ordinators.
Transport spokesman Cllr Jonathan Cook said:
“When temperatures plummet and roads and footpaths are covered in snow and ice we send out a fleet of vehicles and many members of staff to clear it away, but with nearly 230 miles of road surface and 450 miles of pavements it is a huge task that always takes time to complete.
He continued:
“Local people often tell us they are ready, willing and able to clear paths in their neighbourhoods. This is why we organise this annual initiative. Bur providing local people with the tools to do the job, we can as a community working together clear away the snow and ice much more quickly. Local people also have much better knowledge of their neighbourhoods and are better placed to clear ice from the front garden paths of vulnerable or elderly people living close by.”
Residents who want to take advantage of the offer should visit the council depot in Dormay Street between 9am and midday on Saturday, November 19 and Saturday, November 26. They will need to bring some proof of address to show they live in the borough. The depot’s postcode is SW18 1EY for people using sat-navs.
The council is also supplying sacks of grit to Wandsworth’s 200 neighbourhood watch co-ordinators and filling up grit bins across the borough so that local people have an immediate stock close at hand.
There are now 55 of these bins located around the borough, situated mainly in hilly areas where icy pavements can be particularly treacherous.
Snowflakes represent grit bins
To find the location of your nearest salt bin visit www.wandsworth.gov.uk/snow. (Tick the grit bin box in the legend & enter your postcode)
The council states that when snow has fallen, the priority is to keep the borough’s main roads clear of ice so that the emergency services and public transport can keep running. Particular attention is always paid to entrances at tube and rail stations, hospitals, day centres, schools, care homes, clinics and nurseries.
The gritting of borough red routes and their adjoining pavements is managed by Transport for London - these include the A3, A24, A205, A214, A306, A3205 and A3220.
November 11, 2016