Fewer roads to be gritted due to council cost cuts

Fewer roads in Calderdale will be gritted as a precaution this winter as part of council cost-cutting measures.

Calderdale Council said it needed to save £300,000 from its winter services budget.

However, the authority said it would still ensure major roads and those used by emergency services were gritted ahead of any forecast frost or snow.

Councillor Sarah Courtney said the priority was "targeting council resources where they’re needed most".

The council said gritting the area's roads could cost £1.7m in a typical year.

Roads that had been removed from the preventative gritting routes had been checked for rock salt bins and these would be installed where they are needed, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

People living on any route affected will be sent a letter from the council outlining the changes, which come into force on 1 December.

Courtney said the authority's policy was "in line with national guidance" and still met its legal duties for highway maintenance.

“The geography of our borough, with its mix of rural communities and towns means that it’s not possible for us to grit every street and road," Courtney said.

"That means that we must focus on keeping the major routes on the borough’s network clear, targeting council resources where they’re needed most, and meeting our statutory duties as a highway authority."

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