Fixed
Whole road not gritted
Sent to Northumberland County Council less than a minute later. FixMyStreet ref: 8465859.
I use the road to get to school, so do three other children. Therefore this road needs to be constantly gritted. This road has been gritted twice in the past five years, I will continue to request until it is added to a regular route.
Updates
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Thank You for your report. We will review this report at our earliest opportunity.
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Winter Services Operations.
The Precautionary Network underpins the service and has been developed to ensure that where possible no one living within Northumberland is more than five miles from the treated network.
The precautionary network is pre-defined and comprises Primary and Secondary Routes
In built-up areas (defined as settlements with a population greater than 1000) salting will be carried out on selected parts of the network such that residents will not have more than a mile to travel to reach the salted network. In addition main bus routes will be salted, as will link roads having steep downhill approaches (1 in 10 or steeper).
In non-built-up areas salting will be carried out on routes such that residents of small villages (defined as greater than a population of 100) will not have more than five miles to travel to reach the salted network.
You can view our Priority 1 Primary Gritting Routes here: Precautionary Gritting Routes
How Salt Works
Salt comes in grain sizes of 10mm and is spread at rates between 10 to 40 grams per square metre depending upon the forecast road surface temperatures and if snow is forecast or is falling. When spread on top of ice or snow, each grain will begin to melt the surrounding ice working its way outwards. As it melts the ice, it forms a pool of salty water, which in turn helps to melt the surrounding ice and so on. Without any traffic to move the salt and salty water around and mix it into the thawing ice, the melting process can take some considerable time. Where snow falls on top of salt then it begins to melt the snow from beneath. Again, vehicular movements will speed up this process. However, the first vehicles over the snow will actually compress the snow into ice in much the same way as a snowball is created. If there is little traffic, or very slow moving traffic, then a layer of ice may form on top of the road
More information can be found at Winter Services
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In line with the County’s Winter Maintenance Policy, scheduled gritting routes are designed using a hierarchical approach. When planning treatments, we consider the permitted working hours for our operatives, our target completion times for main routes, the need to prioritise arterial roads and primary bus routes, and the operational capacities of our gritting fleet. Our priority routes are categorised as follows: Priority 1 – Primary Routes These are the main arterial routes forming the core transport infrastructure throughout the County, covering approximately 34% of the total road network. Priority 2 – Secondary Routes These include other arterial and secondary routes, as well as bus routes, which are treated when widespread snow or ice is forecast. These account for a further 20% of the network. The Council’s Winter Services Policy sets out the service standards and approach to treating roads and footways during frosty weather, ice, and snow. It is available on our website: northumberland.gov.uk/Highways/Winter.aspx. The policy ensures that salting and snow clearance prioritise classified primary and secondary treatment routes, as well as Priority 1 and Priority 2 footways. This approach ensures that residents in urban areas should not have to travel more than one mile to reach a treated route, and no more than five miles in rural areas. Further information regarding our Winter Services can be found on our website: https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/ roads-and-streets/ winter-services/ gritting-and-ploughing We work closely with our forecast provider, Meteogroup, receiving detailed forecasts around lunchtime each day during the winter season, followed by an evening update. The Duty Manager makes the initial decision on whether treatment is required typically between 11:00 and 13:00 with verification from another Winter Maintenance Manager. The decision is then reviewed following the evening update, and adjustments are made if necessary. We also make use of weather stations across Northumberland and neighbouring areas, enabling us to monitor real-time road conditions, temperatures, precipitation, humidity, and wind speeds. If conditions change overnight, Meteogroup will notify the Duty Manager so that timely action can be taken. Our aim is always to salt the necessary sections of the network at the most effective time. Salt is supplied in 10 mm grains and is applied at rates of 10–40 g/m², depending on forecast road temperatures and snowfall. When applied to ice or snow, each grain melts the surrounding area, creating a pool of saline water that continues the melting process. Without traffic to help mix and spread the salt, this process can take considerably longer. When snow falls on pre-salted roads, melting begins from beneath; however, initial vehicle movements may compress the snow into ice, especially where traffic is light or slow, until the salt works through. Unfortunately the U7042 is not on a Priority 1 or 2 gritting route. The U7038 Close A Burns Junction to Twice Brewed Junction is however on the Haltwhistle 1 Priority 2 gritting route. THis road was gritted on 19, 20 and 21/11/25 Haltwhistle 1 Priority 2 Secondary Route. Grit heaps are also provided along the U7042 at banks and sharp bends, allowing members of the public to treat the carriageway when necessary. Northumberland covers over 5,000 km², and during periods of severe weather we must focus on keeping the County’s busiest roads open. Once these are cleared, we are then able to address other areas, prioritising those that pose the greatest risk and provide the most benefit to residents and visitors. This report has now been closed. Thank you on behalf of Northumberland County Council.
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Grit heaps have now been replenished.
This report has now been closed. Thank You
This report is now closed to updates from the public. You can make a new report in the same location.