SNOW WARDENS ON ALERT AS BRIGG PREPARES FOR THE WORST THE WEATHER CAN THROW AT US THIS WINTER

December having arrived, people living in Brigg and district are wondering whether the great British weather will be heaping snow on us in considerable quantities in the weeks ahead.
Summer 2018 being exceptionally warm for long periods, does this mean we can expect a severe winter to take hold?
If this does prove to be the case, North Lincolnshire Council, Brigg Town Council and neighbouring parishes have plans in place to help keep things moving.
Snow Wardens play a key role in this, and Brigg's is Coun Rob Waltham, the Leader of North Lincolnshire Council.

Helping towns and parishes prepare for with wintry weather

FROM CHRIS O'ROURKE, NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL

In the run up to winter, North Lincolnshire Council is supporting town and parish councils to get ready for when bad weather hits.
The council runs a Snow Warden scheme, allowing appointed people to be the eyes and ears of their parish in bad weather and advise the council on the state of the roads and footpaths.
The council also has a dedicated budget, made available to town and parish councils in adverse weather conditions, to help them fund snow and ice clearance in their towns and villages.
Council Leader, Cllr Rob Waltham, met with the Snow Wardens prior to the start of the wintry weather.
He said: “The Snow Warden scheme is way we can use local knowledge to keep North Lincolnshire moving when bad weather hits. This volunteer role is vital to helping us keep main routes clear and I want to thank them for the work they do as our eyes and ears in their communities.
“Residents know their towns and villages best, so by making this special winter budget available in bad weather to our town and parish councils, they can make sure the resources are where they need to be to effectively deal with ice and snow.”
The council’s winter service starts at the end of October each year and our officers are on standby ready to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, when needed, right through until the end of March.
The council is ready to respond to the harshest of conditions with a stock of around 6,000 tonnes of salt, ten gritters and a mini gritter for treatment of other areas such as car parks and pedestrianised areas (precautionary routes). Stocks are replenished during the season to ensure that sufficient salt is available at all times.
As always, road users are urged to also be prepared for all weather conditions and not to get caught out.
Around 51 per cent of our roads are salted in North Lincolnshire – over 700km worth – which is higher than the national average. See the full map of our winter gritting routes on our website at www.northlincs.gov.uk/winterservice

NF adds: North Lincolnshire Council has already made it clear that Brigg town centre will be a priority area when it comes to clearing ice and snow and putting down salt to make life easier for pedestrians and traders. Hopefully, the teams of workers won't be called upon too often between now and next April. But you never know... Pictured above is heavy snow falling on King's Avenue, Brigg, during a rough spell of weather in January 2012.

Cllr Rob Waltham (centre), of Brigg, with members of North Lincolnshire Council's winter service team, Snow Wardens and other representatives from town and parish councils at a meeting at Scunthorpe Civic Centre. Picture credit: North Lincolnshire Council.