Surrey orders more road salt than recommended

Hundreds of motorists were left stuck on the A3 during heavy snow earlier this year

Preparations for a severe winter have seen Surrey county council order more grit than advised by the government.

Cabinet transport spokesman Councillor Ian Lake said the government had recommended local authorities to have enough salt for 48 gritting runs.

But he said Surrey was "ahead of the game" with enough stock for 51 runs.

He said an "army" of trucks would complete deliveries of 13,000 tonnes of road salt to depots across the county by mid-November.

'Depots filling up'

"The county council has been planning for months to help keep Surrey's road network moving as much as possible in the event of extreme weather," he said.

"The salt barns are filling up and deliveries will continue to arrive until mid-November."

He said the council had ordered 50% more road salt than last year.

In one snowfall in January this year, between 35cm (14in) and 40cm (16in) of snow fell in Surrey, the Met Office said.

Heavy snow led to power cuts, and school closures, with some drivers abandoning their cars on the A3.

Surrey County Council had to limit its gritting to A roads and routes to hospitals with A&E departments, while salt stocks were replenished.

Deliveries are currently being made to depots including Merrow near Guildford, Witley, Bagshot and Godstone.