Wandsworth residents can access free grit to use if cold snap arrives

Despite a recent spell of mild weather, temperatures will fall over the winter months and so the council is once more offering borough residents up to 50 kilos of grit free-of-charge to help them clear frozen footpaths.

Last year around 20 tonnes of grit were given to residents, community groups and neighbourhood watch co-ordinators.

When temperatures reach zero, the council’s fleet of gritting vehicles and dozens of staff are dispatched to clear it away, but with nearly 230 miles of road surface and 450 miles of pavements it is a mammoth task. To make the gritting of roads and pavements work effectively it needs repeated treatments – especially if temperatures drop further or there is another flurry of snow.

Where to pick up grit

Residents who want to take advantage of the offer should visit the council depot in Dormay Street between 9am and 12pm on Saturday 15 November and Saturday 22 November.

You will need to bring some proof of address to show you live in the borough. The depot’s postcode is SW18 1EY for people using sat-navs.

The council is also supplying sacks of grit to Wandsworth’s 200 neighbourhood watch co-ordinators and filling up grit bins across the borough so that local people have an immediate stock close at hand.

There are now 55 of these bins located around the borough, situated mainly in hilly areas where icy pavements can be particularly treacherous.

When snow has fallen, the priority is to keep the borough’s main roads clear of ice so that the emergency services and public transport can keep running. Particular attention is always paid to entrances at tube and rail stations, hospitals, day centres, schools, care homes, clinics and nurseries.

The gritting of borough red routes and their adjoining pavements is managed by Transport for London - these include the A3, A24, A205, A214, A306, A3205 and A3220.

Find the location of your nearest salt bin. For more information about the free grit offer call 020 8871 6000.