Flintshire Council defends gritting operations amid social media criticism

Flintshire Council has addressed criticism over its gritting operations following heavy snowfall on Monday evening, which disrupted travel and closed schools across the county.

The snowfall, which began on Monday evening, left side roads across the county blanketed in snow, creating treacherous conditions for motorists and public transport early this morning.

Arriva Buses Wales has struggled with some services today due to the snow.

The snow has also disrupted education, with Flintshire Council confirming that 66 schools across the county are closed today.

Some residents have taken to social media to express frustration over untreated roads, while the council insists it is working tirelessly to keep priority routes clear.

One resident wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

“Any chance of seeing gritters today instead of leaving it to our local farmers to clear the roads? Abysmal service from you as always.”

Another X user posted on Monday evening:

“Really poor service tonight from @FlintshireCC. All the major roads are treacherous and no gritters or snow ploughs in sight. Does anyone know why?”

There were several other comments on social media in a similar vein, particularly during the heaviest snowfall on Monday night.

Responding to the comment on X, the council stated:

“Gritters were out from 6pm yesterday. We currently have 13 gritters ploughing and salting the county network with assistance from 2 tractor gritters and 5 contract ploughs.”

The council also revealed that 20 additional operatives are hand-salting high-footfall areas, such as town centres and sheltered housing areas.

Meanwhile, two crews are dealing with trees and branches brought down by the weight of the snow.

Flintshire’s gritting efforts focus on 560 kilometres of priority routes, which account for approximately 45% of the county’s highways.

These include:

Priority 1 Routes: Main roads with heavy traffic requiring overnight frost protection.

Priority 2 Routes: Secondary roads, including those with steep gradients or known problem areas.

Priority 3 Routes: Residential and minor roads, treated only when higher-priority routes are clear and if resources allow.

How Gritting Decisions Are Made

Flintshire Council says it relies on up-to-date weather forecasts to decide when to deploy gritters.

A decision is made each afternoon for the following 24 hours, with gritters put on standby whenever icy conditions or snowfall are predicted.

Where necessary, gritting teams can operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

When deciding whether to grit or plough, the council considers several factors, including:

• Whether road surfaces are wet or dry.
• The likelihood of rain or snow based on detailed forecasts.
• Whether any salt from previous runs remains on the roads.

If temperatures are expected to reach 0°C by midnight, operatives arrive at the depot four hours earlier to load trucks and salt roads before freezing conditions occur.

This ensures the grit is already in place to prevent ice from forming.

Salt, or grit, is used on roads to prevent frost and ice by creating a saline solution that freezes at a lower temperature than water.

However, grit becomes less effective below minus six degrees Celsius.

Salt must mix with snow to form the solution, meaning heavy or prolonged snowfall can lead to accumulation before grit becomes effective.

The council has highlighted several difficulties in managing gritting operations during severe weather:

Rain washing salt away before freezing temperatures.

Heavy snow falling faster than grit can work.

Sudden temperature drops causing frost to form unexpectedly.

Traffic congestion slowing gritting vehicles.

The breakdown of snow on residential roads takes longer due to reduced traffic compared to priority routes, which see greater vehicle movement to help activate the grit.