Whilst some parts of the UK have been hit with snow recently, Neath Port Talbot Council is ensuring it has sufficient salt storage for future cold snaps.
The Council, for many years, has kept a salt supply in a depot at Margam to deal with its winter maintenance programme. However this storage facility was owned by the Welsh Government.
Due to salt shortages in previous years, Welsh Government has now decided to take over the whole of the depot at Margam to increase the reserve stocks for dealing with the Motorway and Trunk Road Network. As a result the Council has looked at alterative storage options and is planning to build a new salt barn at the Service Response Centre in Baglan where Streetcare Services are based. Operation will continue from Margam until the new facility is available.
Head of Street Care Mike Roberts said, “The Council has invited tenders to construct the salt barn which would store over 6,000 tonnes of salt”.
He added, “Whilst we haven’t run out of salt to date, stocks have run very low in severe weather of recent years. We are determined to prepare well in advance to ensure the county borough keeps moving in wintry weather.”
