September 12, 2011 4.11 pm This story is over 150 months old

County Council stocks up with salt for winter

Salt stock: Ahead of the winter, the County Council brought in 20,000 tonnes of salt from Egypt.

Lincolnshire County Council has ordered 20,000 tonnes of salt to beef up reserves ahead of the winter.

A cargo ship brought the load all the way from Egypt to Immingham Docks, doubling the county’s stock levels to 42,000 tonnes.

Executive Member for Highways and Transportation, Councillor William Webb, said: “It may be sunny outside, but we’re getting ready for winter now.

“It makes sense to boost our salt stock levels at this time of year to take advantage of lower prices, getting better value for Lincolnshire taxpayers.

“The salt comes all the way from Egypt and is some of the purest in world.

“It is extremely fine, so we need less of it because it cuts through ice more quickly. Quite simply, it’s perfect to use on our roads and helps keep the county moving in freezing conditions.”

The last two winters have seen 29,000 and 32,000 tonnes of salt used in the county, compared to a more typical 18,000 tonnes.

An initial distribution of salt to highways depots around the county will take place over the next couple of weeks.

The remainder will be stored at the docks until later in the year.

Source: Lincolnshire County Council