St Helens Borough Council ready to weather the winter

Article date: 2 November 2026

Running from the end of October through to April, our dedicated winter service team are once again working around the clock to tackle the challenges that ice, snow and freezing conditions bring each year.

Gritting every street across the borough simply isn't possible, but our fleet of seven gritters covers an impressive 178 miles of priority routes - around 38 per cent of the entire road network - across seven primary gritting routes. The routes include:

• all strategic routes
• major bus routes
• roads leading to fire stations, ambulance stations and hospitals
• roads on significant hills or inclines and known trouble spots

A full list of our gritting routes is available at sthelens.gov.uk/grittingroutes

Crews carried out 43 precautionary grit runs last winter, treating around 7,589 miles of road and using 2,064 tonnes of rock salt.

To ensure we are prepared for whatever winter throws our way, the council's duty engineers monitor conditions 24/7 using detailed forecasts provided by MetDesk, combined with data from two local weather stations. This allows us to predict freezing road temperatures, snowfall, rainfall, and the timing of severe weather.

This data-led approach allows the council to deploy our gritters at the right time and in the right places, helping to prevent ice from forming and improving road safety for residents, commuters, and emergency services.

However, grit doesn't magically melt the ice - salt lowers the freezing temperature and prevents ice forming when the road surface falls to 0°C but it usually loses its effectiveness at -5°C. For grit to work most effectively, it needs traffic to crush and spread it across the road so, unfortunately, that means for the first few drivers, the roads may still be slippery.

Councillor Gary Edgerton, Cabinet Member for Business, Highways & Transport, said: "We can't control the weather, but we can prepare for it. Our fleet of yellow gritters is a familiar sight at this time of year and behind each vehicle is a dedicated team working around the clock to help keep roads open, reduce disruption, and support our communities when the temperature drops.

"Most of our grit runs take place overnight or in the early hours of the morning, covering 178 miles of the borough's roads, so please remember that just because you haven't seen a gritter, doesn't mean they haven't been out. Details of road conditions and gritting activity can be found on the council's website and social media channels throughout the winter period."

Alongside our gritting service, council-owned grit bins are located across the borough, with residents encouraged to use these to treat roads and footpaths nearby.

Grit bin locations are assessed and prioritised in areas with challenging conditions such as steep hills and sharp bends, as well as near schools, hospitals, train stations, and older people's residential homes that are not on priority gritting routes. Grit bins are for use on public footpaths and highways - not for private use on driveways - and their supply is limited. Rock salt is also provided to schools on request.

A full list of grit bin locations can be found at sthelens.gov.uk/gritbins

For more tips and information on staying warm, well, and safe this winter - visit www.sthelens.gov.uk/sthelenstogether