Gritting work slashed and costs soar for councils struggling to cope with cold

COLD weather is continuing to create headaches for Yorkshire councils as one announced massive reductions in the number of roads it would grit and another confirmed it had already nearly doubled its winter maintenance budget.

Leeds Council last night confirmed it was reducing the priority network of roads for gritting from around 800 miles to just 300 and warned drivers to take extra care as many roads were now going untreated.

The authority says it will only grit around 300 miles of A-roads and emergency service routes to hospitals, fire and police stations in order to conserve salt for as long as possible as stocks are at "critical" levels in the city.

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A spokesman said: "The Government has taken over the allocation of salt deliveries and Leeds, like every other local authority, is now receiving a rationed supply rather than the volumes it has ordered."

Council leader Andrew Carter said: "Regrettably, until further notice, we will only be able to grit A roads and emergency service routes.

"This decision was taken after much consideration but we have to accept that, with salt supplies being rationed by central Government, we are unable to grit as many roads as we would like."

Meanwhile council chiefs in York confirmed yesterday that they expected to spend nearly 900,000 on the winter maintenance programme, almost double the amount initially set aside.

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York Council has already spent nearly 200,000 over the 480,000 winter maintenance budget to cope with the big freeze and ensure roads and pathways are properly gritted.

The council has confirmed that it expects to spend at least another 150,000 during the winter, bringing the total cost to approaching 900,000. A detailed analysis of its gritting services is now being carried out after the huge pressures which have been placed on the council's road maintenance teams throughout this winter.

Meanwhile the forecast for the remainder of the week is for continuing cold temperatures with the possibility of further isolated snow showers around the county.

The Met Office had weather warnings in place for most of North and West Yorkshire, residents being advised to be prepared for further cold temperatures and show.