The country’s biggest salt supplier cannot guarantee further deliveries to local authorities, following a massive spike in demand.
The freak snowfall, the worst for 18 years, led to Salt Union warning councils across the country that it could not meet demand from them and the Highways Authority. Nationally, more gritting was done this week than in the whole of last year, and the Met office has issued a long-range weather warning of more severe weather at the end of the month.
Research by Surveyor revealed many local authorities were scaling back operations to focus on high-priority networks, in a bid to conserve supplies.
Warwickshire County Council said: ‘The council has managed to keep the highways clear over the last few days by regular gritting, but has been informed by the supplier [Salt Union] that no more grit would be delivered to the county for the “foreseeable future”.
‘Use of salt has outstripped the supply, and many local authorities are now running at a lower-than-desired level.’ Hertfordshire County Council revealed it had resorted to finding alternative suppliers from overseas.
In a statement it said: ‘We started the week with about 5,500t in stock and a further 6,200 on order. However, our supplier [Salt Union] is rationing us to about 160t, equivalent to a single pre-salting run.’
Gloucestershire County Council said that, despite an agreed delivery contract, Salt Union could not guarantee any further deliveries of salt.
A council spokesperson said it would look into the legal situation after dealing with more ‘pressing matters’. Wiltshire County council also confirmed problems with supply.
Surveyor was told of a lorry being sent from Bath to Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland to bolster salt stock. London councils resorted to borrowing from each other as stocks ran out.
Another UK supplier, Irish Salt Mining and Exploration Company, reported 40 emergency calls from councils and major contractors. A spokesman said: ‘This is unprecedented. One authority has gone through 10,000t in a week.’
Louise Ellman, chairman of the transport committee, told Surveyor that MPs would be looking into the week’s events. She said: ‘We will be asking questions. I am extremely concerned. It is unacceptable that the country grinds to a halt after snow which had been predicted.’ A spokesman for Salt Union said: ‘The stock levels are running very low but we are mining 24 hours a day, seven days a week to meet demand.’
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