Weather Update.

Staff working at Derbyshire County Council are working round the clock to help local people cope with the effects of the extreme winter weather.

A spokesman for Derbyshire County Council said: "We're dealing with the worst winter weather for 30 years.

"We're continuing to grit main routes across Derbyshire but extremely low temperatures mean salt and grit doesn't work as effectively as usual.

"We've used 15,000 tonnes of salt so far this winter. We haven't reduced the amount of grit and salt we've been spreading on the roads and we're continuing to grit main routes as normal.

"After treating main routes we would usually start gritting side roads and pavements. But recent conditions have been so bad that we've needed to return to the main routes which means side roads are not currently being treated.  High Peak Borough Council started to grit pavements in their area yesterday (4 January).

"Our salt supplier hasn't been able to deliver the required amounts and we're monitoring the situation closely. We had a delivery last night and we're doing all we can to get more supplies from elsewhere.

"We'll start to fill up grit bins again -- which are provided for use in public areas only - as soon as we can when supplies allow."

North of the county
 
The precautionary routes (A roads, most B roads and most bus routes) were gritted at 6pm last night (4 January) and again at 4am/5am this morning (5 January).  Extra spreading was also carried out in Chapel.
 
Road closures today (5 January): 
Snake Pass A57 
Holme Moss A6024 
Axe Edge 
A624 to Chunal and between Hayfield and Glossop 
Cat and Fiddle Road A537 
A515 Buxton to Ashbourne road (was also closed yesterday) 
 
South of the county

Gritters went out at 6pm last night (4 January) and 4am today (5 January).

No roads closed in the south of the county. 
 
 
 Libraries

Some libraries are closed but staff from the closed libraries are working in other libraries where possible. Several mobile libraries are not going out.

Schools

We have been notified that 60 schools across the county have closed.

Home Helps

Staff from our countryside service have been working non stop since December 21 to transport home helps and other vital assistance out to vulnerable and at risk people.

They have suspended nearly all normal countryside services in order to use the fleet of four wheeled vehicles to get help out.  So far they have helped over 200 people needing critical care, medication and other necessary care.
 
Notes to editors

• We grit 1,555 of the 3,300 miles of roads in Derbyshire - more than most councils
• Every time the gritters go out across Derbyshire it costs around £30,000.
• We operate 47 front-line gritting vehicles during winter.
• There are 140 gritter drivers who work in shifts on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Every time the gritting teams go out it takes them around three and a half hours to salt the main routes.
• The main gritting routes include main A-roads, most B-roads, most bus routes and some other roads which have specific difficulties.

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