Council prepares as heavy snow is forecast for South West

Swindon Borough Council is putting preparations in place in anticipation of worsening weather conditions from now and into tomorrow.

Officers from across many Council services are working hard to keep services running in the coming days and to keep the borough’s main road network open.

Residents are urged to make sure they stay safe during any adverse weather by avoiding unnecessary journeys and, where travel is unavoidable, to make sure they are prepared. Information on preparing for cold weather can be found at www.swindon.gov.uk/getreadyforwinter

When the temperature drops, some people are at increased risk of developing serious health conditions, falls and injuries. The Council is encouraging people to keep warm and well, aiming for temperatures of 18C indoors, to eat more fruits and vegetables and to keep active.

Some services may be affected by the severe weather. For up-to-date information on council services during the cold weather you can follow the Council on Twitter @swindonnews or on Facebook by searching ‘Swindon Borough Council’.

Cllr David Renard, Leader of the Council, said, “All of our staff have done their best to plan for the upcoming bad weather and we will keep services running where possible.

“Our gritting teams have been out a number of times already over the past 24 hours and will continue to try to keep the roads clear throughout the bad weather.

“I would urge residents to think of their safety in the bad weather and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.”

Schools

Schools may be affected by the bad weather. Please check school websites and listen to local radio for updates.

Transport and travel

Our eight gritters will be out across the cold snap spreading grit and ploughing if the snow becomes deep enough. We may also close some roads if they become too dangerous, especially steep hills. For more information about gritting and road closures, including which road we grit, visit our website.

Our Tree Team are on standby to clear any fallen trees as a result of snow.

Bus services may also stop. Visit your local bus company website for updates.

Bin Collections

The weather is also impacting the waste collection service. If weather becomes too dangerous for our crews they will stop collecting.  Priority will be given to collecting general household waste during this time, recycling boxes, plastic recycling and garden waste services may be suspended to redirect resources, if not collected please take your recycling back in and present on your next collection.

If your waste bin is not collected over the next few days please leave it out and we will collect it as soon as possible once the roads are clear and the weather subsides. We are not expecting to be able to collect on Friday or over the weekend so you may wish to take your bin back in. Please follow the Council Twitter or Facebook for further updates or visit the rubbish collection day page of the Council website.

Household Waste Recycling Centres 

The Household Waste Recycling Centre may be closed. Please check if it is open before visiting by going on our website and check the tipcam. 

Rough sleepers

The Council has already implemented the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol for rough sleepers and there are a number of beds available for those that need them. The Council will accommodate anyone who presents themselves as homeless and will use additional accommodation such as B&B’s and hotels if needed. You can alert us of a rough sleeper in need of support by visiting www.streetlink.org.uk.

Crematorium and Register Office

Both locations will aim to be open during normal opening hours. However, if the weather is too bad then the sites will be closed and all people with bookings will be notified and offered new times as soon as possible.

Libraries

The town’s libraries are monitoring the situation and will make a judgement on whether to open based on how severe the weather is. Further information will be available on the library Twitter or Facebook accounts.

Council Housing

Although weather conditions are bad, the Council and its partners are doing everything possible to attend to housing repairs and are giving priority to vulnerable and elderly customers.

Customers are advised to expect some potential delays, especially on routine non-urgent jobs but to be assured that repair teams will attend as soon as possible. Tips on how to keep warm are available through our winter web pages: www.swindon.gov.uk/getreadyforwinter