Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Carmarthenshire residents and road users are being reassured that the council is well prepared for this winter with double the amount of salt compared to two years ago. The Environment Scrutiny Committee heard that the Street Scene section has 13,000 tonnes of salt in stock ready to grit the roads in icy weather - rising to 16,500 tonnes by the end of October. There is also 1050 tonnes of quarry gritstone in storage for use in extreme conditions. Members were told that planning was well underway for this winter and as well as an increase in salt, a review had been carried out of the routes and the number of 4x4 vehicles in the council fleet. A full inventory of grit bins has also been carried out and the 1100 grit bins in the county will be re-filled as necessary. The council’s Building Services division established ‘hit teams’ to respond to schools, care homes and main council buildings. Following the first major snowfall last winter an internal ‘Gold’ command was set up, chaired by t...

Carmarthenshire is to receive a share of a £15 million cash boost to help cover the cost of the recent big freeze. The Welsh Assembly Government has announced additional funding of £8million to assist local authorities to deal with urgent road repairs and replenish their salt stocks. It comes on top of £7 million announced last week to fix potholes, bringing the total amount of extra funding to £15 million. Carmarthenshire will receive a total of £1.126 million to spend on pothole repairs, frost damage and purchasing salt. Potholes are caused by severe weather, particularly prolonged cold weather; water lies in cracks in the road and during periods of sub-zero temperatures it turns into ice and expands, causing the surface of the road to break up resulting in deeper-than-usual potholes. The council’s executive board member for technical services Councillor Philip Hughes said: “We welcome this extra money from the Welsh Assembly Government which will be used to target the worst-affected...

Carmarthenshire has used just 25 per cent of its salt stock so far this winter – and further deliveries are on the way. Council chiefs want to reassure residents that there is no cause for concern despite media reports of gritty supplies disappearing fast. The council has increased its salt stocks this year to more than 12,000 tonnes – with a further 5,500 tonnes contingency stock expected by the end of the month. It is recommended that local authorities hold enough salt to carry out six days of continuous gritting – that’s 5,500 tonnes for Carmarthenshire - which means we will have triple the contingency arrangements. The council also received a delivery of salt - as part of its annual re-stock exercise - just yesterday. Residents are therefore being urged not to panic. Director of technical services Richard Workman said: “As a result of further stocks received this week, we have calculated that about 25 per cent of Carmarthenshire's initial salt stock holding has been used to dat...

Carmarthenshire is to increase its salt stock this winter. It follows last year’s national salt shortage. Sub zero temperatures saw many local authorities having to ration supplies and stop using salt on minor roads. As a result the council is looking to increase its stock by 26 per cent. This means approximately 9,500 tonnes of salt will be stocked in barns ready to be used and a further 2,500 tonnes on order. More frequent deliveries have also been organised as and when available to keep stocks at or near maximum levels. Director of Technical Services Richard Workman said: “Last year saw heavy demand on salt supplies across the UK, however, forward planning and careful use of our stocks meant that we never ran out of salt in Carmarthenshire and we did not encounter some of the problems that other areas of the country experienced. I'm sure residents understand that the most important thing when supplies are under pressure is to keep the main roads clear. “This year we are increasi...