A gritting arrangement is agreed in autumn. It sets the routes to treat in order of priority, the forecast conditions that trigger a visit and the timing, such as early evening or early morning before staff arrive.
Priority routes are the ones most people use or where a fall is most likely: main entrances, disabled parking bays, ramps, steps and the path from the car park to the door. Lower-priority areas are treated after those.
What the work covers
Routes marked in order of priority on a plan of the site.
Salt spread when frost, ice or snow is forecast for your area.
Treatment of parking areas, disabled bays and access roads.
Pedestrian routes between parking and entrances treated by hand.
Questions people ask
How much does winter gritting cost?
It depends on the area to be treated, the number of routes, the trigger conditions agreed and how many treatments the winter brings.
What decides when a site is gritted?
The trigger conditions are agreed with you when the arrangement is set up, usually based on the forecast for your area. Salt put down before ice forms works better than salt spread on ice that has already formed.
Does gritting stop slips completely?
No. Salt lowers the risk, but it takes time to work, washes away in heavy rain and is hard to use on packed snow. Staff should still report icy patches between visits.
When should a gritting arrangement be set up?
In autumn, before the first frost, so the routes and triggers are agreed by the time cold weather arrives.
Can a block of flats have a gritting arrangement?
Yes. Managing agents and landlords can include communal paths, steps and residents' car parks.