PREPARING FOR WINTER ON GODALMING'S ROADS

Winter is coming, and already council services are preparing to tackle severe conditions in the Godalming area.

A record amount of salt is being stockpiled by Surrey County Council to tackle severe winter weather.

A fleet of trucks has been making deliveries to take salt stocks up to nearly 17,000 tonnes from last winter's 13,000 tonnes.

And more than 40 gritters, including those at the Witley depot near Godalming are standing by to keep Surrey moving in the event of snow and ice.

The mountain of salt will allow the county council to regularly treat around 110 extra miles of road – the equivalent of nearly 5,300 extra miles of gritting runs across an average winter.

It has also allowed the council to double the amount of grit available for borough and district councils to spread in town centres to 40 tonnes each.

Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment Ian Lake said: "We've been planning for months to help keep Surrey's road network moving as much as possible in ice and snow. Our salt barns are almost full and the final deliveries will be arriving in the coming days.

"Once again we've made salt available to Surrey's borough and district councils so they can send teams out in town centres and have provided grit bins so residents can treat their local roads and pavements to benefit their communities.

"We have also been making sure we can continue to provide services for the most vulnerable. However, we would also like residents to help themselves and us by clearing snow from outside their properties and by checking on elderly neighbours during cold winter weather."

In addition, the council has launched a twitter feed in partnership with BBC Surrey to provide residents with updates on gritting activity, roadworks, road closures and traffic information. Go to @surreytravel