Gritting and snow clearance in Salfords
Salfords sits on wet clay beside a busy stream, which makes its winter paths treacherous.
Gritting in Salfords is a short trip for us. We’re two and a half miles away in Horley, and until the 1970s Salfords was part of Horley anyway. When frost or snow is forecast we come out to clear and salt paths, drives, steps and entrances by hand, for homes in the village and for the business units, care home, school and church close by.
The village name probably means a ford by the willows, which is fair warning about the ground. Salfords sits on Weald Clay with a stream running through the middle. In winter that leaves plenty of water lying about, and water is what freezes.
What we do
- Front paths, driveways and steps
- Entrances, ramps and side passages to bins
- Car parks and paths at offices, blocks of flats and care homes
- Snow cleared by hand before the surface is salted
- A visit when frost or snow is forecast, or when you ring
- Repeat visits through a cold spell
Gritting Salfords paths after the stream has been up
The Salfords Stream drains a big stretch of clay that throws rain off quickly, and it can flood in autumn and winter. When it drops back it leaves paths, drives and garden steps wet, beside ground that can’t take any more water. A clear, still night after that is the worst combination going. We’d much rather salt a wet path in the late afternoon, before the temperature falls, than leave you with a sheet of ice next morning.
Business units and the walk from the car park
For a small village, Salfords has a lot of industry. The council counts its industrial estate among the borough’s two largest, and Perrywood Business Park and Fairlawn Enterprise Park sit nearby too. Units like these have short, busy walking routes: parking to the door, round to a side entrance, down a step into the yard. HSE expects employers to manage slip risk on those routes in ice and snow. We agree them with you, treat them when frost or snow is forecast and let you know when they’re done, so whoever opens up isn’t the first to test the path.
Gritting in Salfords: your questions
Anything else, just ring. You’ll speak to the people who do the work.
Our front path floods and then freezes. Is salt enough?
Not on a deep puddle, because the salt gets too diluted to do much. We salt the damp margins ahead of a frost and point out where water collects, so you know which spots to watch.
Can you do the paths at our unit before we open?
That’s what agreeing a list before winter is for. We come out when frost or snow is forecast, usually the evening before or early in the morning, and message you when it’s done. Nobody can promise a path will never be slippery, but treating it ahead of time makes a real difference.
Does a gritted path mean I can’t be blamed if someone slips?
Nobody can promise that. Government guidance says you’re unlikely to be held responsible if you’ve cleared snow and ice carefully, and that taking reasonable care is what counts.
Ready for the first frost in Salfords?
Tell us which paths, steps and drives need doing. We’ll clear and grit them when the weather turns.