Liberal Democrats at Hertfordshire County Council have been left astounded by the county council’s admissions over salt and grit levels. Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst (Central Watford and Oxhey), Opposition Highways Spokesperson, started pushing for updates on the situation on the roads on Saturday.

The county council heaped glowing praise on itself for its response to the earlier than normal snow fall. But the council’s report contained a glaring omission: the actual levels of salt stockpiled and the date of the next delivery.

Stephen Giles-Medhurst commented: ‘They admitted on Monday they had enough salt to carry out 13 heavy gritting runs. When questioned the County Council’s Highways Department were desperate to reassure us that they had enough. Since this exchange we know the gritters have been out at least twice more, so stocks are lower still.

‘It now emerges that whilst they had salt stocks sufficient for 13 heavy gritting runs left on Monday there were 16 actually days until the next delivery. The County Council has had to apply to the emergency salt supply held at the Department for Transport.

‘Last year we said they should stockpile enough to keep out roads and footways cleared throughout the winter. The year before we said the same. Although the operation seems to have been slightly slicker than in previous years, we are now left in a precarious position: if more snow falls and temperatures stay extremely low, the county could well have to reduce its gritting operation or simply run out of salt.

‘Salt does not go off, and there now appears to be an obvious trend of colder, snowier winters. The County Council must learn from previous years.

‘We can only hope that no more snow falls before more salt arrives in the New Year.’