Commercial gritting in Crawley Down

Surgery ramps, sheltered housing paths, school gates and garage car parks, salted on high, cold ground.

Commercial gritting in Crawley Down covers car parks, entrances, ramps and paths right across the village: the health centre in the middle, the two sheltered housing schemes, the primary school and pre-school, All Saints, and the garages, shops and food businesses that keep the place working. The newer estates on the western side bring shared paths and bin stores, and a 70-bed retirement home has been approved there as well.

Many of the first people to arrive each morning are older, or carrying children, or both. We’re a family gritting company from Horley, five and a half miles away, and we treat each site the evening before a frost so it’s ready by morning. After each visit we log when we came and what we treated, and send it on.

Ramps first: how we order the routes

On the walk round we rank every route. Top of the list is anywhere people move with sticks, frames or wheelchairs, which means ramps, level thresholds, drop-off points and disabled bays. Next come the main entrance and the walkway from the car park. Then the fire exits, which have to stay usable even if they’re rarely opened. Bin store paths and side gates follow. When snow falls we clear and salt in that same order, so the surgery ramp is done long before anyone thinks about the bins.

Commercial gritting in Crawley Down’s colder corners

Crawley Down sits higher than most people think. One archaeology report recorded a site in the village at around 113 to 120 metres, on a slope facing north, with firm sandy clay under the topsoil. An entrance facing north gets almost no sun in December, so its frost can last into the afternoon while a sunnier frontage nearby has thawed. Sites like that need repeat visits in a long cold spell, which is worth weighing up when you choose between paying per visit and a seasonal arrangement.

Commercial gritting in Crawley Down: your questions

Anything else, just ring. You’ll speak to the people who do the work.

Our surgery opens at half eight. When will the paths be done?

The evening before, when frost is forecast, so the ramp, entrance and car park walkway are treated hours before the doors open. After overnight snow we clear and salt the priority routes as early as we can and tell you when they’re finished.

Do you grit at garages and car sales sites?

Yes. Our gritting services there cover the walkways through customer parking, the route to reception, any steps or ramp and the staff entrance. We’ll agree the exact routes with you and mark them on the plan.

The shared areas on our new estate are still with the developer. Who books?

Whoever is responsible for those areas this winter, often the developer or its management company. We can agree a plan with them now and carry it over to the residents’ company at handover.