Winter Maintenance
West Sussex County Council Highways – Winter Gritting
Responsibility for salting and gritting both the roads and pavements rests with West Sussex County Council. The Highway’s gritting lorries work around the clock to keep the main transport links open treating 1,600km of the county’s roads as part of their precautionary salting network. West Sussex County Council is not able to undertake any of the following:
- Hand treat footways / cycle ways or precincts.
- Treat private, third party or non-highway land.
- Refill salt bins / replace Hippo Bags when stocks are critical.
Gritting Routes
Using WSCC’s interactive map, you can view a map of their permanent gritting routes, coloured by priority.
Please note: The system only provides information about whether a road is on a gritting route and does not tell you whether the roads will be or have been gritted.
You can follow various social media platforms run by WSCC which will keep you up to date on their current activities. For further details please see West Sussex County Council’s Road Winter Maintenance.
Grit Bins
Grit bins are not provided by West Sussex County Council; to support the local community the Town Council provides 68 grit bins in strategic locations around the town which are filled by the County Council annually before the start of winter.
Grit bins are provided at various locations throughout the town to allow drivers and pedestrians to treat localised icy conditions. The bins contain a salt/sand mix which is solely for use on public roads and pavements and should not be used for private driveways.
Gritting
- You do not need to carpet an area with grit to achieve the desired effect. ‘Dusting’ the grit sparingly from a shovel will achieve the same effect.
- The grit should be used sparingly as a little goes a long way.
- Remember if you use all the grit in one area, others will be without.
- Remember to close the bin lid after each use. If the contents get wet the grit is ruined, leaving the Town Council unable to replace any grit in this bin.
- During periods of extreme weather, the Town Council may, at its discretion, replenish grit bins only where time, resources and spare grit allow; this is not a statutory service, and bins will not be refilled where contents appear to have been misused for private purposes or contaminated (for example, lids left open).
Report Damaged or Empty Grit Bins
West Sussex County Council will not refill empty bins and the Town Council is only able to assist once the town centre pavement clearance has been completed and if stocks allow.
The Council has a program of works to replace damaged or broken grit bins however, if a grit bin near you becomes empty or damaged, let us know online.
If you would like to report that a grit bin is empty or damaged – please email communityservices@eastgrinstead.gov.uk.
Response Times
Please appreciate that it may take a few days to get to the bins as resources will be very stretched, and unless WSCC offer more supplies it will be a partial refill only.
The Town Council has no ability to deliver to areas where there are no grit bins.
New Bin Requests
The Town Council is not able to provide any additional grit bins, and there is no waiting list.
This decision was originally agreed by the Amenities and Tourism Committee in 2013 and revisited in 2021.
East Grinstead Town Council – Winter Gritting
The aim of the Town Council’s Winter Management Plan is on maintaining access to town centre pavements and its surrounding areas and ensuring that people can safely move about in the main areas of the Town.
Gritting Routes
The Town Council co-ordinates a small team of outdoor services and office staff who complete localised gritting; we do not have either the resources or equipment to attend any areas not shown on the map. In the event of concerns regarding safety on the roads or pavements we must refer you back to the Highways Authority West Sussex County Council.
Individuals are responsible for their own safety at all times during severe weather and should follow local and national advice and guidance given regarding travel movements.
You can view the route on the map available here.
Supporting your Neighbours
Severe weather conditions can be life threatening, especially to those who are less likely to be able to look out for themselves. During these times, you can help your more vulnerable neighbours by calling in on them to check that they are warm, well and have sufficient food supplies.