Schools pay a visit to Worcestershire’s gritting depot

The visit to Stanford Depot in Hartlebury was organised by Worcestershire County Council and supported by their contractor, Ringway. Pupils had the unique opportunity to see a gritter up close while learning how the council helps keep Worcestershire’s roads safe during the winter months.

Councillor Karl Perks, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways and Transport at Worcestershire County Council, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome two local schools to visit our depot. The children had an amazing time climbing into the gritter cab, operating the snow plough, and sounding the horn on one of our stationary gritting lorries. I’d like to thank the schools, the Ringway staff who made everyone feel so welcome, and the pupils themselves, who asked some brilliant questions.

“Our road gritters play a vital role in keeping Worcestershire moving safely during winter, and this visit was a great way to show children the work that goes on behind the scenes.”

During the visit, pupils were shown how a gritter operates, explored the salt barn, and learned about the different types of salt used to make roads safer for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Mrs Kelly Rodriguez, Vice Principal of Lickhill Primary School continued,“Thank you for inviting us to the depot, it was a wonderful, immersive experience for our children.  We are both part of Central Regions Schools Trust (CRST) and exploring sustainability is one our drivers this year. This opportunity aligns with our trust enrichment guarantee and has given our eco councils firsthand experience of this in action. The children really enjoyed the informative talk about how gritters operate and how the county keeps our roads safe.
“They couldn't wait to get back to school and share their experiences in assembly - they will also share their findings at the pupil agency conference later in the year. "

The visit also highlighted the scale of Worcestershire County Council’s winter service.

The service has been fully prepared since mid-October, with 35 gritters ready for deployment and more than 50 trained drivers on standby. Throughout the winter, the team is  ready to cover tens of thousands of miles and will remain on call until mid-April whenever temperatures are forecast to fall below freezing.

The council begins each winter season fully stocked and actively monitors and replenishes supplies as needed. Robust supply chain arrangements are in place to ensure reliable salt availability throughout the season and beyond.

For more information on gritting, including gritting routes and the locations of grit bins, visit the Gritting, ice and snow pages of the Worcestershire County Council website.