Council prepares for winter weather

Gritting lorries could soon be on the roads for the first time this season with temperatures set to drop this week.

The service is on standby between November and April every year ready to act to help keep roads safer when freezing conditions are forecast.

Gritting is one of the key aspects of the Winter Service Plan which details the Council’s planned actions for when adverse weather hits.

The plan is due to be discussed at a meeting of the Council’s Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure Committee on Wednesday 18 November. (https://reading.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=140&MId=6259)

Salt stocks for gritting for 2026/27 will remain at 900 tonnes and the Council’s contractor has confirmed that national stocks are available to cope with a severe winter if one arrives.

No changes are proposed for the primary and secondary salting routes in Reading.

All 48 grit bins around the borough will be retained and if the Snow Plan is activated, due to prolonged adverse weather, pavement snow ploughs will continue to be available for use in the town centre and primary pedestrian routes, such as Reading and Caversham bridges and Christchurch footbridge.

Footpaths in the core area of the town centre will be treated when snow is predicted to lay for a long period.

Last winter was relatively mild and exceptionally wet, resulting in just 30 primary gritting runs and one secondary gritting run. This compared with 54 primary and four secondary runs in the 2024/25 season.

There was a short-lived cold snap in January 2026 which resulted in Broad Street being hand-gritted on one occasion due to icy conditions, but the weather rapidly improved.

Reading is part of a Berkshire-wide winter forecasting service which includes weather stations to make accurate forecasts to enable the local councils to make informed decisions on when to grit.

There is an on-going joint arrangement with Wokingham Borough Council, and their contractor Volker Highways, to provide gritting decision making on behalf of Reading.

Cllr Finn McGoldrick, Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety, said:

“With our changing climate, it is even more important that the Council is prepared to react to adverse weather of any kind.

“The Winter Service Plan ensures that processes are in place to help keep the public highway as safe as possible during challenging weather conditions.

“I would also encourage residents and businesses to think ahead and prepare for the winter weather to make sure we all stay safe and healthy.”

Tips and advice on how to take care of yourself, family and neighbours can be found on the Met Office WeatherReady website: https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/warnings-and-advice/weatherready.