Increase urged in stock of road salt

Councils should look to increase their stocks of road salt to combat severe winter weather, a Whitehall-commissioned review said.

The current benchmark for local highway authorities is enough salt for four gritter runs a day for six days.

In the medium term councils, where they can, should increase stocks so they can make 48 gritter runs, the report said.

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Led by RAC Foundation chairman David Quarmby, the review team made 11 recommendations to add to the 17 made in an interim report in July 2010.

The team, set up following the worst winter for 30 years in 2009/10, said the economic and social cost of winter weather disruption in England was about 1 billion.

The review, which looked at the way transport systems coped with the last two winters, recommended:

n Local councils should collaborate on stocks where it makes sense to do so

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n More economical use must be made of salt (which needs technical research to be completed), as experience last winter showed that lower rates of spread did not appear to reduce effectiveness in making roads safe

n Greater flexibility of output by the two British salt suppliers

n Regular national monitoring to help ensure adequate salt stocks are in the right places

n On the railways, there should be more consistent use of contingency timetables, selective heating of conductor rails south of the Thames and greater use of de-icing trains

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n The rail industry should work closely with local highway authorities regarding responsibilities for de-icing key areas used by travellers

n Better liaison between airports and local highway authorities in some areas is needed regarding the gritting of critical roads around airports.

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