Solihull Council insists it is ready for a harsher winter

AS the dark nights set in and the borough’s leaves start to turn, Solihull Council is already planning for the winter.
A fleet of nine new vehicles will be used to keep the roads clear in the event of ice and snow, with 3,500 tonnes of gritting salt having been stockpiled at the council depot. Half a dozen “hand salters” will be used to treat the borough’s six main retail centres, which include Chelmsley Wood and Marston Green.
The local authority has acknowledged that last winter was far milder than usual – only 29 gritting runs were completed, all of them precautionary.
Highways officers are nonetheless confident that the council is prepared should we experience more severe conditions this year.