Volunteers throughout the county are being called on to help clear snow and ice from Derbyshire’s roads and pavements this winter.
Derbyshire County Council would like to hear from residents and farmers willing to help keep their communities safe when bad weather hits to supplement work carried out by the council's own gritting teams.
Town and parish councils, schools and voluntary community groups help to clear snow in their areas as part of the council’s Snow Warden Scheme. Each group is given a free delivery of up to a tonne of bagged grit and given training and advice on how to clear snow and ice safely.
Snow wardens get involved in:
- clearing snow and ice from their community’s pavements
- reporting local weather conditions through the council’s website
- co-ordinating volunteers to clear snow and distribute grit
- reporting empty grit bins.
Farmers and others with ploughing or gritting equipment are also being asked to work as contractors to help keep their local roads on the move until next April.
Anyone taken on as a contractor will get £250 for signing up plus extra payments for call outs.
Farmers and contractors need to:
- provide their own equipment
- be available to work daylight hours, Monday to Sunday – although extra help may be requested if conditions are particularly severe
- arrange appropriate insurance
- be able to respond to a call out within 90 minutes.
Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Assets and Transport, Councillor Charlotte Cupit said: “Even though we are still in August we are starting to plan for whatever the winter weather could bring.
“Please get in touch with us if you are a farmer or contractor and would like to help clear snow should we get any this coming winter, and if you belong to a local council or community group we’d like to hear from you if you’d like to help your community by clearing pavements when it snows.”
Town and parish councils, schools and other community groups interested in volunteering can find out more and sign up by sending an email to snow @ derbyshire.gov.uk
Farmers or other contractors with snow clearing equipment should email PlaceCountyProcurement @ derbyshire.gov.uk for more information.