It is the job of Cleansing Services to ensure during times of
freezing conditions and snowfall, the free, safe passage of
vehicular and pedestrian traffic within the City and to mimimise
the disruption caused to City residents, workers and visitors.
During freezing conditions the priority
locations for salting by Cleansing Services will be
-
Bridges and steps
-
Steps and slopes to highwalks and
overwalks
-
Leaking hydrants
-
Station frontages and areas around bus
stops
-
Access areas to hospitals
-
Access areas to schools
and nurseries
-
Access to police stations
-
Slopes
-
Riverwalks
The streets are gritted using rock salt. Up to
1000 tonnes of salt are stored for use during freezing conditions
and snowfall.
A meeting is held in October every year to
review the Winter Service Operational Plan and to ensure that all
the necessary equipment is in place to operate the plan at any time
throughout the winter. Between 1 November and 31 March each year
two fully operational gritters are held on standby at Walbrook
Wharf Depot. On receipt of weather forecasts where the temperature
falls to 1-2 degrees Celcius or below but there is no chance of
snow, the roadways and footways are treated for freezing
conditions. Where there is any weather forecast predicting snow the
plan's alert system becomes operational and precautionary gritting
is undertaken in the first instance. When a fall of snow occurs
then the procedures laid out in the plan take effect until such
time the snow has been cleared. During periods of severe snowfall
other services such as waste collection become secondary
priorities.
Some roads in the City are the responsibility
of Transport for London (TFL), the gritting
of these roads during times of severe weather is the responsibility
of TFL. These roads include Upper and Lower Thames Street,
Farringdon Street, Bishopsgate, Gracechurch Street.
If you would like to know more about the Winter
Service Operational Plan, please contact Cleansing Services on 020
7606 3110 extension 2212 or email us at
Cleansing.StreetCleansing@cityoflondon.gov.uk.