Somerset Council is set to invest up to £2.3 million to purchase 14 new gritter lorries in preparation for the upcoming winter season. This move aims to sustain essential winter road maintenance across the county, ensuring major transport routes remain clear and safe during ice and snow conditions.
Currently, the council operates a fleet of 23 gritters, with two new vehicles introduced last winter. Notably, these gritting vehicles were named Basil Salty and Gritney Spears following a community naming competition involving local schools South Somerset Partnership School and Bucklers Mead Academy, both from Yeovil.
However, around ten of the existing gritters are nearing the end of their serviceable life, plagued by significant wear and tear, much of it due to abrasive corrosion from relentless salting operations. The aging fleet has led to escalating maintenance costs and raises concerns about service reliability during peak winter periods.
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To address this, the council has contracted Romaquip to supply 14 replacement vehicles, with an option to acquire up to five more in the future. Jeremy Fry, Infrastructure and Transport Officer for Highways Operations, highlighted the challenges: “Many of our gritters are over a decade old, suffering accelerated deterioration from exposure to salt, which increases downtime and maintenance demands. Replacing these vehicles is critical to maintaining uninterrupted winter service and fulfilling our legal obligations under the Highways Act 1980 to keep roads safe and passable.”
Currently, the council spends about £200,000 annually on maintaining its winter fleet. The £2.3 million investment in new gritters will be spread across four years as part of the council’s capital program. Unlike leasing or hiring, purchasing new vehicles is a financially sustainable strategy; hiring seven vehicles for a single winter could cost more than £218,000, a strain the council’s revenue budget cannot accommodate.
While no specific timeline has been provided for when the new gritters will be operational, this procurement marks a significant step toward strengthening Somerset’s winter road safety infrastructure and reducing maintenance challenges associated with aging equipment.