Gritters are at the ready as cold weather looms for Cheshire East

Cheshire East Council’s highways team is fully prepared for the challenges winter brings – from sub-zero temperatures to storms and potholes.

Colder weather is expected to sweep across the borough in the coming weeks and the council’s fleet of 21 gritters has already started winter operations on some high-level routes in parts of Cheshire East.  

Councillor Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East Council’s highways and transport committee, said:

“Winter throws the worst weather at us – ice, snow and storms and all of which has the biggest impact on our roads. However, we are committed to keeping our highways safe and the traffic moving, so will act quickly, whatever the weather may bring.

“As temperatures drop, we often receive enquiries from residents wanting to know more about gritting. Our 17 gritting routes cover about 40 per cent of our road network (678 miles or 1,091kms).

“In line with national guidance, these routes are gritted based on road type, usage, risk level, and access to key amenities. Therefore, the roads that keep our network open are gritted but not the ones that are purely residential as there are too many of them, with too little traffic.  

“We monitor the weather constantly, and so our gritters leave the depot at the most effective time of day or night and before any ice or snow appears. Most gritting happens between 1am and 3am though, which is why you may not see the gritters out on your morning commute.

“They are all driven by our regular highways team, who volunteer to be on standby for whenever they are needed, day or night and yes, even on Christmas Day too.

“However, despite all this great effort to keep our roads safe, I urge motorists to always drive to the road conditions.”

To help residents tackle icy patches locally, there are around 500 grit bins across the borough. These bins are filled before the season starts and may be refilled during the winter if we have experienced prolonged snow. They are for public roads and pavements though, so are not for use on residents’ driveways.

Cllr Goldsmith said:

“As we’ve seen in previous years, winter may also bring with it severe storms and flooding too.

“Again, our highways teams are ready to respond quickly to changing weather patterns and work with the emergency services, the Environment Agency and other agencies, to try to minimise the impact on our residents.”

The council’s website carries detailed information about gritting routes for this winter, together with advice on what to do in the event of severe winter weather, and how to drive and stay safe in icy conditions.

More information about gritting routes.

Residents can keep up to date with gritting decisions by following the @CECHighways X account and by searching #CEHGrit on X, or by following Cheshire East Council on Facebook.