Legal Responsibilities for Gritting

Local Highway Authorities, including Leicestershire County Council, have duties under the Highways Act 1980.

  • Section 41(1A) requires authorities to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along highways is not endangered by snow or ice.
  • Section 150 places a responsibility on authorities to clear snow where it causes an obstruction.
  • Case law confirms the duty does not extend to removing all ice or snow, but to taking reasonable, risk‑based steps.

Highway authorities carry out precautionary gritting on priority routes A roads, key B roads, and essential‑service routes. Leicestershire County Council grits around 1,300 miles of road, which equates to nearly half of the county’s road network.

No precautionary salting is carried out on footways, although during the treatment of the main routes on the carriageway network, the adjoining footways should benefit from some overspray from grit and salt. When snow and ice are lying on the ground the pressure that those severe winter conditions places on our resources means that we are usually unable to treat footways ourselves. Even when we do have resources available, we are unable to get to every location and those that we do treat may have to wait several days after snowfall. The snow warden scheme (details below) is intended to provide a more reliable arrangement for clearing key local footways during prolonged severe weather and allows us to concentrate our resources on the critical carriageways.

Snow Wardens are encouraged to treat footways on a priority basis, for example:

i)                 In main shopping areas.

ii)                Adjacent to heavily trafficked roads where the footway has high pedestrian usage.

iii)              Outside hospitals, schools, and similar locations where there is a heavy concentration of pedestrians.

iv)              Outside health clinics, care homes, nursing homes, homes for blind and partially sighted people or similar locations where there is above average use by older people, disabled people or people with health conditions or impairments.

Grit Bins

Leicestershire County Council (LCC) is responsible for:

  • All yellow grit bins located on the public highway that meet LCC criteria.
  • Refilling LCC‑owned bins at the start of each winter season and then as resources allow. During severe weather, refilling is delayed until priority routes are treated.

Parish, district, or borough councils may also own bins:

  • These may be different colours (green/black) and are not maintained by LCC.
  • Where bins are privately or parish‑owned, the parish is responsible for filling, maintaining, and replacing them
  • A bin must not be placed on the public highway unless approved by LCC.
  • LCC will not supply grit for parish‑owned bins

Role of Parish Councils

While parish councils do not have a statutory duty to grit highways, you can support winter resilience by:

  • Maintaining parish‑owned paths and community facilities
  • Supporting the Snow Warden scheme
  • Reporting grit bins requiring refill
  • Assisting with spreading grit from County grit bins where resources allow, recognising that primary responsibility remains with LCC.

Snow Warden Scheme – Process for Parishes

The Snow Warden Scheme provides trained local volunteers to support gritting and snow‑clearing in severe weather.  This process is being reviewed to be relaunched later this year.

  • LCC provides training sessions every 2 years.
  • Training includes safe working practices, equipment use, PPE, and gritting techniques.
  • Equipment and guidance are provided to ensure safe, effective gritting.
  • Snow Wardens operating according to training are indemnified by LCC against third‑party claims.