As temperatures drop, Southend Council in partnership with Veolia, the street cleansing, and winter maintenance experts, are gearing up to ensure safe travel for residents and visitors across the city
Veolia's fleet, comprising three dedicated gritting vehicles, has already sprung into action in response to recent gritting alerts issued over the past fortnight. The primary route gritter efficiently disperses nine tonnes of salt per operation, while two additional vehicles cover supplementary routes, each distributing five tonnes of salt per operation.
Alongside the roads, Veolia will deploy smaller gritting vehicles to spread salt on pavements and walkways in high-footfall areas but when venturing about in icy weather, remember to tread with caution as pavements may remain slippery.
A network of 122 strategically placed salt bins, stocked with over 1,800 tonnes of salt reserves, are also available for both residents and businesses.
To bolster community engagement and resilience, the council, in collaboration with Veolia, has been running a successful volunteering initiative encouraging residents to become snow wardens. Volunteers commit to gritting local pavements and driveways and are equipped with free gritting materials upon signing up. For those interested in becoming a Snow Warden, contact Veolia at 0203 567 6955 or email uk.southend-recycling@veolia.com.
Councillor Meg Davidson, cabinet member for environment, said: "Ensuring uninterrupted movement across Southend, especially during challenging weather conditions, is paramount for our emergency services, residents and businesses. We remain vigilant, monitoring road surface temperatures, and have responded promptly with two recent gritting alerts."
Stuart Atkinson, senior contract manager for Veolia, added: “I would like to thank the almost 100 Southend residents who have already signed up to the Snow Warden scheme. I'd also like to take this opportunity to remind all residents to be patient if they encounter our gritters on the road. The team will be working hard again this winter to keep the roads clear and we ask that they are treated with all the respect they deserve.”
Residents are urged to monitor local salt bin levels via MySouthend, under 'bins, recycling and waste', then 'salt bin.' For weather forecasts and warnings, visit the Met Office website.
For more information, check out our winter pages.