Croydon prepared in case of heavy snowfall

Gritting teams are poised and ready for action ahead of the plunging temperatures and snowfall forecast for Croydon tonight.

The Met Office issued a severe weather warning for snow yesterday, which is predicted to arrive in the borough from 6pm, coinciding with this evening’s rush hour.

To ensure Croydon keeps moving, the council has been putting the necessary systems and resources in place. Nearly 2,963 tonnes of salt has been stockpiled and salt bins have been checked in the event highways staff and contractors need to grit roads and pavements.

Nine gritting lorries are available on a 24-hour basis to treat the borough’s roads and keep the most important roads moving. These include A and B roads, main bus routes, hills and approaches to rail stations, schools, fire, ambulance and police stations. More information on the gritting routes can be found here.

Footpaths around key transport hubs will also be gritted, along with some pavements serving local shopping areas. The borough also has nearly 600 fully-stocked roadside salt bins for use by drivers on nearby roads, but the council is reminding people that this salt is not for removal and use on private drives.

Residents can also do their bit to help elderly and vulnerable neighbours by clearing snow, shopping or even just stopping for a chat.

Councillor Stuart King, cabinet member for transport and environment

“We are as prepared as we can be should heavy snow fall in Croydon tonight and have plans in place to keep traffic moving as freely as possible around the borough. Some footpaths will also be salted to enable us to continue providing services to the most vulnerable people.”

On an ongoing basis, the council works closely with the emergency and voluntary services, utility companies and other London boroughs to plan for a coordinated response to major emergencies, including the problems associated with severe weather.

For further information and advice, visit our Cold weather and snow FAQs

2017-01-12T16:47:15+00:00 January 12th, 2017|Recent news|