Quad bikes and extra gritters as North Lincolnshire Council gets ready to tackle snow and ice

COUNCIL staff with ice-melting back-packs and teams of gritters are ready to go out in force across North Lincolnshire in a move to ensure the streets and roads are safe.

North Lincolnshire Council says it is well prepared for the bad weather this year, with a series of tools at its disposal to combat the winter conditions.

There is a 90 per cent probability of severe cold weather before Sunday and back-pack wielding staff have already taken to the streets to combat the worst effects of the cold weather.

The authority has taken delivery of 6,000 tonnes of salt and has spent £750,000 on the winter service budget.

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North Lincolnshire Council is responsible for gritting A roads and some smaller B routes.

One new addition to the council's winter arsenal are spray back-packs.

These are operated by council workers and the back-packs are filled with liquid de-icer, which clears snow in pedestrianised areas. Two new gritter lorries have been purchased to replace older vehicles, while quad bikes and snow blowers will again be used if necessary.

Councillor Nigel Sherwood, cabinet member for highways and neighbourhoods, said: "We are getting some more salt bins and we are making sure the salt bins are filled up and certain areas are being provided with them.

"The quad bike has been out and about and this can get to most places with salt.

"Some of the parish councils have taken on some of these back packs.

"Quite a lot of people on the parish councils attended a meeting and they asked if they could get one.

"It is just a different and new approach to getting some form of de-icer.

"It is about being more pro-active and trying to make sure that the salt is out there."

Appointed snow wardens will also be coordinating efforts in each parish in the event of snow.

Mr Sherwood said: "They can reach places where members of the community cannot get to. You cannot beat local knowledge."

A North Lincolnshire Council spokeswoman said: "The council is monitoring weather forecasts and management systems 24/7.

"In terms of precautionary salting, we have been out a number of times already this season and looking at the immediate forecast for the next week, we will be going out quite frequently."

Follow the council's Twitter account (@NLCHighways) for updates on gritting.