Notices

 As days become shorter and nights chillier, Somerset County Council’s fleet of 23 gritters is ready to be mobilised as soon as the temperature drops below zero in coming months.

Salt barns across Somerset are fully stocked and the team is on standby to treat 900 miles of road when the mercury plummets.

Last year our fleet of nearly two dozen gritters went out on 66 occasions when freezing temperatures were forecast, covering 70,200 miles help prevent ice forming with 1842 route actions in total – a significant increase from previous years.

This year the fleet is being bolstered with 20 new snow blowers, four new snow ploughs and there are three extra weather stations to signal cold weather warnings.

“Our dedicated teams are ready to spring into action when needed after working hard throughout the year to make sure our salt is stocked and our equipment is checked,” said Cllr John Woodman, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways.

“Be assured they’re checking the forecasts every day to ensure gritters go out whenever road surface temperatures drop, and frost or snow is anticipated.”

 What roads do we treat?

We treat over a fifth of Somerset’s roads, marked in red on the map here.

Our main priority is to keep the busiest routes clear whenever ice or snow is expected. The priority is roads that link major towns, villages and communities on high ground and the important routes across the County for long distance travel.

 When do the gritters come out?

We carry out gritting when road surface temperatures are predicted to drop below 1°C and ice or snow is expected. Precautionary gritting normally takes place before the formation of ice – so that generally means our teams are out in the evening or early morning.

In the event of snow, we have established plans in place, working alongside the emergency services and partners to clear the network as quickly as possible. We can equip our gritters with snowploughs and have arrangements with farmers and snowplough operators who are employed to clear snow on our behalf. We prioritise our primary network and move on to clear our secondary and minor networks as resources allow.

Why don’t we salt every road in Somerset?

We can’t treat every road, as there aren’t enough gritters, drivers and depot staff to make this cost-efficient. However, we are carrying on our work with parish councils to fill roadside grit bins on request and are continuing to run a community-led snow warden scheme.

 Getting about

Rain can wash salt away and in very low temperatures gritting may not be enough to prevent freezing – so drivers are always advised to take extra caution in winter.

Only the busiest roads are gritted, and most are not, so ensure you plan ahead and drive carefully, particularly if frost has followed rain.

Remember to:

For more information about Somerset County Council’s winter service programme, including a searchable map showing all the roads treated, please visit www.travelsomerset.co.uk/gritting and follow @TravelSomerset on Twitter and Facebook.

The Road Safety team also have plenty of advice for road users in the winter months, so make sure to follow @SCC_RoadSafety and visit their website www.somersetroadsafety.org for more.

Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service have advised us that as of 5pm on the 3 November 2021 an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone was declared across Great Britain. This means that all bird keepers in Great Britain (whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard are required by law to take a range of bio-security precautions:

• Schedule 1 – Minimum biosecurity measures applying to all keepers
• Keep domestic ducks and geese separate from other poultry.
• Ensure the areas where birds are kept are unattractive to wild birds, for example by netting ponds, and by removing wild bird food sources.
• Feed and water their birds in enclosed areas to discourage wild birds.
• Minimise movement into and out of bird enclosures.
• Cleanse and disinfect footwear and keep areas where birds live clean and tidy.
• Reduce any existing contamination by cleansing and disinfecting concrete areas and fencing off wet or boggy areas.
• Keep free ranging birds within fenced areas, and ponds, watercourses and permanent standing water must be fenced off (except in specific circumstances, e.g., zoo birds).
• Schedule 2 –Enhanced biosecurity measures for premises with over 500 poultry or other captive birds

Keepers with more than 500 birds will need to restrict access for non-essential people on their sites, workers will need to change clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures and site vehicles will need to be cleaned and disinfected regularly to limit the risk of the disease spreading.

Full details of what is required can be found on the government website: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1030990/aipz-declaration.pdf

To assist all bird keepers in complying with the new rules, the biosecurity guidance and self-assessment checklists   have been updated and all the latest information can be found at

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu#biosecurity

Remember that if you have poultry it is your responsibility to keep updated on any outbreaks and an easy way to do this is to sign up for text notifications – register with the APHA alerts service.

Community Employment Hubs

Volunteers needed as hubs reopen

The Community Employment Hubs are about to re-open, and the SWT Employment Support team need your help.

If you have a couple of hours a week to spare to help people in your local community access work and training whilst having a cup of tea, then they want to hear from you. All training will be given, you just have to love chatting and meeting new people.

The hubs will be opening in Taunton, Watchet, Minehead, Williton, Dulverton, Wellington and Stogursey. The employment support team, work with all ages from 16 until retirement and help people get into work, change careers, set up a new business or go for a promotion. The community employment hubs support many different people and are a brilliant place to meet and chat.

If you would like more information or want to apply please contact Georgie or Iolanda either by ringing 01823 219578 or emailing employmentsupport@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk.

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