Yorkshire Grit on Show as Fleet Prepares for Winter Challenges

Communities in North Yorkshire have spoken of the vital work that is undertaken each winter to ensure that the county’s sprawling network of roads remains open.

North Yorkshire Council has a budget of over £8million to deliver its winter service, which allows 70 gritters to take to the roads.

As England’s largest county, North Yorkshire’s roads stretch almost 5,800 miles which, laid end to end, would run from Northallerton to Tokyo.

Gritters, their drivers, duty managers and officers are on call 24 hours a day between October and April – and longer if weather conditions require. Last year, more than 5,000 routes were treated.  

Cameras and trackers are fitted in the gritters, which provide up-to-date information and allows them to be tracked online.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:

“Keeping our roads open during severe winter weather is a huge task, particularly in the most remote parts of the county.

“However, it remains one of our key priorities as we know how the service benefits everybody who lives, works, and visits.

“We owe our thanks to the highways team and farming contractors who work around the clock to make our roads as safe as possible.

“While we strive to keep the county moving in the worst weather, we remind road users to take care when travelling and consider whether their journey is necessary.”

The Horseshoe Inn is a family run hotel and restaurant situated in the village of Levisham, about two miles from the main A169 Whitby to Pickering road.

Like many businesses in remote parts of the county, it relies on gritting teams to keep the roads clear of snow, ensuring guests and visitors can access the inn whatever the weather.

The Horseshoe Inn’s general manager, Iain Yates, said:

“As a country inn with rooms in the beautiful hilltop village of Levisham, we have residents who travel from all over the country, and beyond, to stay with us in the stunning North York Moors National Park.  

“With the support of the council to keep the roads clear, our residents, our local suppliers and the staff we employ know they are able to reach us safely and with ease.”

The gritting fleet are supported by farm contractors, and in extreme conditions they often plough ahead of the gritters. Since the mid-90s, Pete Iveson has been ploughing and treating Buttertubs and Fleet Moss – Yorkshire’s highest road – in the Yorkshire Dales.

He said:

“I have been preparing for winter in recent weeks by assessing machinery and ensuring we are stocked with salt.

“Our role is to make the roads safer as life goes on whatever the weather. We have milk tankers, animal feed wagons and the school taxi all needing to travel.”

Although the last few winters have been milder on the whole, the weather is always unpredictable. Mr Iveson recalls Storm Arwen in November 2021, when he was forced to tackle about seven feet of snow.

NY Highways is responsible for the county’s gritting fleet, a company created by the council. Over the last few years, it has invested more than £2million in new gritters for its modern fleet.

The size of North Yorkshire’s road network means priority is given to keeping the main routes open. Priority one routes connect or go through the county’s towns and are cleared before moving onto priority two routes, which give access to smaller communities.

The council considers requests for additional gritting routes and reviews existing routes on a yearly basis. All decisions are made in line with its policy on priority routes and cost.

There are also 21 road weather station cameras used to monitor road surface temperatures, wind speed, residual salt levels and humidity. These provide live updates every ten minutes.

Many of the cameras are found in remote roads, such as Ribblehead, Cowling Moss and Blakey Ridge.

Further information on our gritting operations, including road cameras and maps, can be found at https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-travel/winter-service/road-gritting