OVER £160,000 worth of salt is lost from Council depots in Bradford each year because it is washed away by the rain, a meeting has been told.

As part of a shake-up of its Winter services, such as gritting, Bradford Council is looking to build a huge “salt barn” at its Wakefield Road depot. 

Currently salt is stored at two sites, Wakefield Road and Stockbridge Depot in Keighley.

But at both these sites, the salt used to grit roads is stored in the open – and prone to the elements.

At a meeting of Bradford Council’s Executive, members were told this open storage means that around 15 per cent of the salt stock, roughly 3,825 tonnes, is lost each year.

This adds up to about £162,000 worth of stock lost each year.

A report to the Executive said the creation of a 18,000 tonne capacity salt barn at Wakefield Road could prevent £112,000 worth of salt being lost each year. 

The Executive were asked to approve the Council’s new Winter Services Plan – a shake up of a service that overspend its budget by £700,000 last year.

The plan will include a £46,000 upgrade of the district’s two weather stations, at Queensbury and Silsden – needed due to the age of the existing equipment.

The Council will also purchase “surface temperature ground sensors” to better assess what roads need gritting. 

The report said the new plan would “bring increased efficiency to the winter maintenance service by addressing known weaknesses whilst also embracing the opportunity its future development by adopting technology supporting decision-making in the treatment of the network.” 

Richard Gelder, Highways Services manager, said the Council lost a “significant amount” of its salt stock each year, adding: “We’re looking at the best ways to store it undercover.”

He said the Council was also looking into using electric gritters – and would likely lease an electric vehicle to use this Winter. He said: “It will help us see how it compares to the diesel vehicles.”

Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: “This is a service all of our residents need each year – it is important we get it right.”

Referring to how the department’s budget was dependent on long term weather forecasts, she added: “Some years the department doesn’t spend the budget, other years it massively overspends. It is difficult to assess how much it needs each year. Recently Winters have been a lot more rainy, and with a lot higher winds.”

Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, Executive for Regeneration, Transport and Planning, said the service covers 700 miles of the district’s roads, adding: “We all want as many streets a possible covered. A salt barn would be such a huge step forward.”

The Executive approved the Winter plan.