• Report an untreated icy road
• Report an untreated icy footpath
• Report an empty grit bin
• Report a low grit heap online here 
• Request a grit bin

Council's gritting fleet, ready for action

Find out about the action we take to make the roads in Northumberland as safe as possible and minimise delays and disruption during severe winter weather.   

Get a guided tour around one of our state-of-the art new gritters.

 

Request gritting support

During periods of severe weather, updates on road conditions, gritting and snow ploughing can be found on the alerts page, through our Facebook alerts channel or Twitter:@northumberlands. 

• report an untreated road online here 
• report a low grit heap online here 
• report an empty grit bin online here 
• apply for a grit bin online here 
• report untreated footpath 

When do we grit?

We grit the roads when temperatures are expected to fall to zero or below. Rock salt is spread to lower the freezing point of the surface and it takes about three hours to cover Northumberland. We aim to grit all the routine roads by 8am each day, although gritting becomes less effective the further the temperature drops.    We use specialised weather reports from the Met Office, insight from our road condition sensors, which monitor road temperature, and a wealth of local knowledge to decide on the right time to grit.   

In extreme conditions, like freezing rain, no treatment will prevent ice from forming, although these kinds of conditions are very rare and usually short-lived.   

To view our Winter Services Policy and Information please click on this link. 

Where do we grit?

We routinely grit a network of 29 main routes to combat overnight frost and ice. We also grit busy footpaths, car parks and shopping areas during persistent icy weather conditions.   

Our route is planned so treated roads can be reached within: 

• No more than five miles for rural residents. 
• No more than one mile for urban residents.  

Principal bus routes and distributor roads with steep approaches to main road junctions are also treated as a priority.   

Second priority roads will be gritted when widespread ice is expected to continue through the day and in light snow falls. These roads include: 

• Access roads to communities where there are no alternative gritted roads. 
• Important bus routes. 
• Urban distributor roads. 

Not all roads are routinely gritted, and local extreme weather conditions may mean parts of the road network are not treated as normal. Despite our best efforts, even on gritted roads, ice may reform.  You can view our precautionary gritting routes here or download our "Highways in Winter" leaflet for more information.   

Watch our video to find out more about gritting and routes.

 

We don’t plough or grit the A1 and A19.  National Highways is responsible for those roads – call 0300 1235000. Further information can be found at National Highways - National Highways 

Grit bins

Grit bins are available on selected steep hills, verges, sharp bends and near steps, particularly where routine gritting does not happen. We supply 1,600 bins for the public to use, which we restock as often as possible during the winter. You can use the grit provided to clear snow and ice from pavements around your home, making paths safer and easier to use.

• Follow the government’s guidelines on clearing snow from roads, paths and cycleways to do this safely.

Grit provided should not be used for treating private property.

Snow clearance on roads

Grit bins are available on selected steep hills, verges, sharp bends and near steps, particularly where routine gritting does not happen.    We supply 1,600 bins for the public to use, which we restock as often as possible during the winter. You can use the grit provided to clear snow and ice from pavements around your home, making paths safer and easier to use. 

• Follow the government’s guidelines on clearing snow from roads, paths and cycleways to do this safely. 

Grit provided should not be used for treating private property. 

Snow clearance on footpaths

When snow falls in excess of 50mm, with possible drifting, snowploughs attached to gritters will be used. Snowblowers and other specialist machines are also sometimes used.   

In severe snow conditions it’s not possible to clear all the roads at once, so we prioritise roads in the following order: 

1. principal roads - cleared to a minimum two-lane width 
2. roads into towns and villages - at least one road into each to allow for access to the cleared major roads 
3. major town centres 

Snow clearance on other roads will only take place when the higher priority roads have been cleared, which may take several days. 

Snow clearance on footpaths 

As resources become available, we also clear the most used footpaths. We have created a footpath network of four categories, based on their usage. Category one footpaths will be cleared first and you can see the various networks on the maps below: 

• Alnwick 
• Amble 
• Ashington 
• Bedlington 
• Bedlington1 
• Bedlington2 
• Berwick 
• Blyth1 
• Blyth2 
• Blyth3 
• Blyth4 
• Cramlington 
• Hexham 
• Morpeth 
• Morpeth1 
• New Hartley 
• Newbiggin 
• Newbiggin1 
• Prudhoe 
• Seaton Deleval 
• Seaton Sluice 
• Seghill 

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