KIRLEES Council has been given a Government guarantee it will get more grit - but will only be gritting priority routes and is to start using sand and ash.

The council has been allocated a supply of salt from the Government’s ‘Salt Cell’ but winter maintenance teams will need to make the best possible use of this because they do not know when further supplies will become available.

A spokesman said: "With most of the country’s local authorities needing salt, it could be some time before Kirklees gets a further supply but everything will be done to avoid running out of grit altogether. Gritting crews will also be using sand and ash to treat snow and ice in badly affected areas to enable people to walk more safely."

The adverse weather conditions are predicted to continue for the foreseeable future with overnight temperatures over the next ten days expected to be no higher than -4°C.

The council’s current supplies of grit are needed to keep the authority’s priority routes and key areas open and safe. The remainder of the road network cannot be gritted at present and grit bins cannot be filled.

Priority routes to be gritted include major roads, main bus routes and steep roads that provide important links to main roads and into housing estates.

Crews are also working hard to try to make sure that key areas such as town and village centres, doctors’ surgeries, health centres, hospitals, industrial estates, bus stations, schools and the homes of vulnerable residents are made as safe as possible.

Cllr David Sheard, Cabinet member for Highways and Transportation, said: "We have to try to clear our strategic, priority routes and keep vulnerable people as safe as possible.

"We have had many requests for badly affected side roads to be gritted, however I’m sure residents will appreciate that the limited supplies of grit cannot be used on side roads when it is needed for priority routes and key areas."