County council has three new gritting trucks

LEICESTERSHIRE County Council is welcoming three new state-of-the-art gritters to its fleet as it looks to keep roads safe, and moving, this winter.

The brand new vehicles, which cost around £400,000, are fitted with the latest technology, including GPS systems which provide automatic grit spreading and route navigation to make sure the service is as cost effective as possible.

The authority, which has been working throughout the summer to prepare for the cold weather, has also refurbished six gritters with the new technology as well as reviewing gritting routes to ensure they are still appropriate.

The new additions take the total number of gritters available to tackle snow and ice to 23, with 47 per cent of the road network being treated – an increase of two per cent of roads being gritted compared to last year.

Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “Last winter was one of the most severe on record.

“Despite the challenging conditions our team provided an excellent service and were called into action 109 times, which is significantly higher than the average 60 times a year.

“Our new gritters will give us better resilience and greater efficiency when we go out and grit the county’s major roads and key routes.”

As well as modifying and servicing gritters during the summer, the council was also accepting deliveries of grit as it looks to build up its salt levels to more than 18,000 tonnes in preparation for the cold snap.

Until November, up to eight loads of grit will arrive every day at its salt barns in Melton, Misterton, Mountsorrel, Market Harborough and Nailstone.