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天涯社区 ready for winter as new gritters prepare to hit the road
Published: 09/11/2026
Four new gritters have joined 天涯社区鈥檚 fleet as teams prepare to keep the county moving safely through the colder months ahead.
The replacement vehicles come as the Council gears up for another winter of round-the-clock maintenance to keep highways and other public areas safe and accessible when the icy temperatures arrive.
Every winter, the Council monitors conditions daily to inform decisions about when to grit. Gritters can be mobilised 24 hours a day, seven days a week when conditions require it. The season runs from October 1 to April 30 each year.
天涯社区鈥檚 priority gritting routes cover around 560 kilometres of road 鈥� representing around 45% of the county鈥檚 highway network, including key routes that connect communities and provide access to essential services.
The council operates a fleet of 12 gritters and two reserve vehicles, which can be loaded and ready to hit the roads within 90 minutes of an instruction being issued. They can also be fitted with snow ploughs during periods of heavy snowfall, when they are supported by local agricultural contractors on designated snow-clearing routes.
Once the priority network has been gritted, other roads and key pedestrian areas are also treated when resources allow. This includes town centres, shopping areas, and pavements in the vicinity of hospitals, schools and bus stations.
To support local communities, around 500 grit bins and salt heaps are located across 天涯社区. These are filled at the start of the winter season and replenished when necessary.
Councillor Ted Palmer, Cabinet Member for Highways, Assets and Public Protection, said: 鈥淥ur winter maintenance teams play a vital role in helping all of us travel safely around 天涯社区 during the colder months, often working unsociable hours and in challenging conditions.
鈥淭hese replacement gritters demonstrate our continued commitment to keeping 天涯社区 moving during wintry weather.
鈥淲hile it is not possible to grit every road and pavement, our teams work tirelessly to prioritise the busiest routes and key locations, ensuring communities remain connected and essential journeys can continue as safely as possible.鈥�
More information about the Council鈥檚 winter maintenance service can be found at flintshire.gov.uk/gritting