Highways Adverse Weather & Winter Service Plan

Winter Service Resources

Plant and Vehicles

The authority has in place its own fleet of specialist vehicles and salt spreading equipment. Vehicles are in readiness each winter allowing rapid deployment and spreading of salt on the highway when required. The fleet is managed and maintained with vehicles replaced when funds permit, with investment in state-of-the-art equipment to ensure accurate and efficient spreading of road salt.

Typically, the fleet consists of around 19 vehicles, these may be Swap body or Unibody gritters. In addition, the authority has a tractor mounted snowblower which may be deployed during severe conditions.

Operational personnel

The authority has a significant pool of staff resources in place each winter to provide a 24hr operation when required. Typically, we have around 78 operatives fully trained at the start of each winter season, however this number may fluctuate each year in line with required service levels.

In addition to gritter drivers, the authorities fleet management team are in place to support the highways division in the maintenance and upkeep of its gritting fleet, providing servicing and attending to faults and breakdowns. Approximately 8 trained mechanics are in place throughout the season.

Salt Stocks

Local Authorities are directed by Welsh Government to hold in store a minimum salt stock at the start of the winter season to ensure each highway authority can provide a resilient response to prolonged winter weather. This is calculated on a 1.5 times multiple of a 6 years average use. Carmarthenshire County Council normally holds approximately 12,600 tonnes of salt in stock at the start of the season, most of which is stored under cover in salt barns. Our aim is to then replenish stock levels to maintain a capability and resilience in coordination with Welsh Government and other local authorities across Wales.

Carmarthenshire uses 6mm rock salt purchased through the Welsh Governments all Wales framework tender for salt supply and is part of the Wales Salt Cell which determines deliveries to local authorities on a priority basis during difficult times.

County Road Salt Storage capacities are as follows: