The clocks have gone back and we are now turning our attention to winter weather – groan 🙁 🙁
As always, our Environment department is hoping for the best but planning for the worst case scenarios of snow, ice, gales, or whatever may come our way.
We want to make sure we have all the arrangements in place to help us all deal with poor conditions and be able to get about with minimum disruption.
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We have a very well maintained fleet of gritters and 30 hardworking volunteers from Streetscene who step in to drive the gritters – you’ll remember the conditions last year and they worked around the clock to keep roads open and as safe as possible.
We have agreed gritting routes which you can take a look at here (http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/travel/winter/routes_map.htm) along with 8,000 tonnes of grit which is topped each time we grit the roads.
We also have plans in place to cover extended periods of severe weather which includes plans to grit housing estates (where it is safe to do so) before bin collections and to keep areas such as sheltered accommodation and school routes as clear and safe as possible.
“To grit or not to grit?”
This is the question faced several times a day by our experienced supervisors. To grit too soon may mean it gets washed away by rain. Too late – and you could be in for a slippy ride.
If you want to know if the gritters are going out you can keep an eye on our Twitter account – or watch out for #wxmgrit.
We also send out reminders via the MyUpdates system which emails updates directly to subscribers – you can subscribe here: (https://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/user_register/register.cfm)
When very poor weather is expected or we are experiencing a particularly long bout of cold, freezing weather we’ll keep you updated about where to find information including bin collections and school closures via this blog, our website at www.wrexham.gov.uk and our social media accounts so please keep an eye on them.
???? Remember to check your vehicle before you go out during or before poor weather. The Met Office has some excellent advice which you can check out here (https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/barometer/advice/travel-advice/driving-in-severe-weather) but always remember to allow extra time for your journey and stay safe.
Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We are as ready as we can be and drivers have already been checking their gritting routes to make sure they are aware of any potential problems. We value this service and last year was exceptional, we want to ensure that we keep everybody moving during adverse weather which is essential to the local economy. Please take extra care during the winter and look out for alerts and weather advice and take all necessary action.”
“Help where you can”
You should also look out for your elderly relatives or vulnerable neighbours. Poor weather can mean they face greater difficulties when carrying out every day basic tasks such as nipping to the shops or post office. Please offer help where you can – it could make all the difference to someone who can’t get out on their own.
Cllr Joan Lowe, lead Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: “We all struggle during bad weather with transport and day to day tasks so imagine what it must be like for someone who has poor mobility and cannot get out at all. Please don’t underestimate just how much of a difference you could make by helping with shopping, taking a hot meal or just calling in for a chat.”
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