Gritting

There are ten gritting routes covering 600km of the Borough's roads, this includes dual carriageway lengths.

The aim is to maintain an effective transport system in Solihull for commuters and commerce by gritting main and important routes throughout Solihull in accordance with our Winter Service Policy. There are 345 self help grit bins placed around Solihull for members of the public to use in severe weather conditions.

Where to grit?

Gritting priority is given to three types of roads/routes and based upon the recommendations contained in a National Code of Practice.

• Priority A - Strategic routes and principal roads, important classified roads and bus routes.
• Priority B - All other classified roads, important unclassified roads and bus routes.
• Priority C - In prolonged periods of lying snow/ice, estate and minor access roads in hilly or exposed locations will be treated, and consideration given to important footway routes (e.g. shopping precincts etc).

Treatment of Priority C locations would only be considered when conditions dictate and when all other priorities had been fully and adequately treated and resources become available.

When to grit?

We are recipients of a specialised winter weather forecasting service provided by the Met Office. The forecast, received on a daily basis, gives predictions of the possibility of freezing road temperatures, snow etc, and the time those conditions may occur.

More weather information is available from the Met Office

In addition, throughout the winter season, an inspector is employed to check the accuracy of the forecast by measuring road surface temperatures. This enables decisions to be made if, or when gritting is necessary. The aim is to treat Priority A roads before road surface temperatures fall to 0 degrees C and all Priority B roads by 7.30 am.

Do you provide grit bins?

There are currently 345 grit bins throughout Solihull in areas not normally subject to mechanical treatment, at hilly, exposed locations and potentially dangerous road junctions. They are normally placed on site in October and removed in April after the winter. They are re-stocked with salt when needed.

Requests for the provision of a grit bin are assessed and judged against a criteria. They are only provided if full justification can be shown. To request a grit bin, contact Highways Maintenance on 0121 704 6121 or use our Contact Us Form.

How to report a grit bin is empty?

Information on how to report a empty grit bin is provided on the grit bin.

Can I grit the footway outside my house?

Salt from grit bins should only be used on the public highway. Salt can be purchased from most garden centres for gritting on private land.

Can a Grit bin be removed?

Often grit bins become the focus of vandalism or the meeting place for youths. If this becomes an unbearable nuisance, a request for the bin to be removed can be made. The agreement of other residents in the area would be needed before the facility is withdrawn. To request removal of a grit bin, contact Highways Maintenance on 0121 704 6121 or use our Contact Us Form.

Are pedestrian routes gritted?

In very severe weather conditions, especially when snow or ice may remain for some days, consideration is given, in priority order, to the treatment of pedestrian routes - footways and pavements in the following order :-

• Town centre streets/main pedestrian routes
• Shopping frontages
• Busy pedestrian routes
• Hospitals and doctors surgery frontages/routes
• School frontages/routes
• Community centre frontages/routes
• Steep sections of footway/footpaths
• Predominately elderly residents areas
• Other residential areas
• Industrial estates.

Contact Details

For further information please contact highways

Email: environment@solihull.gov.uk