Storm Goretti is expected to cause widespread disruption as it hits the UK, with warnings for strong winds as well as heavy snow and rain.
Several weather warnings have been issued up and down the country, including a rare red warning for Thursday (January 8) covering Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, with the Met Office warning that strong winds could pose a danger to life.
Freezing temperatures and turbulent weather are expected to last through the weekend, leaving many people wondering if it is safe to travel.
Councils have been clearing their roads to combat icy conditions, but local authorities in the UK tend to prioritize main roads, leaving most residential roads at risk of slippery conditions.
It may be all well and good if the main road at the bottom of your property is clear, but if you can’t get your car the required quarter mile down your road, you may not think the gritters are of much use.
Many residents think that their councils do not do enough to clean up their streets. (PA)
Here, Yahoo News takes a look at how councils decide which roads to speed up, and whether you can check where it’s been curbed and where it hasn’t.
How to check if your road will be paved
The answer to this depends a lot on where you live in the country.
The UK government maintains a website that lets you check where in your postcode it is being downloaded.
However, after entering a postcode, the government website takes you to your local authority website – and different councils provide different amounts of information about what’s being clamped.
The government can direct you to the website where you need to see information about your local stripping operation. (UK Government)
For example, if you enter a postcode that falls under the authority of Derby City Council, you will be presented with a website about where they pollute, and you can click through to find a detailed map of exactly where their trucks will visit.
Other councils such as Sheffield, Dorset, Essex and Lincolnshire provide similar information and maps.
But local authorities such as Kirklees and Calderdale do not provide this level of information.
If your local authority does not provide detailed information on its website, this does not mean that it is not available elsewhere.
You can always check your councils or local councilors social media pages to see if they have provided any information.
The interactive map from Derby City Council showing where they plan to connect. (Derby City Council)
Are fewer roads being speeded up?
Cash-strapped councils are looking to save wherever they can, but cutting waste routes is often hotly contested by constituents.
Trade union Unison called for cuts to gritting services in October, when it called for more funding to plug the black holes in the council’s finances.
Local authorities under the Highways Act have a legal duty to “so far as is reasonably practicable” ensure “that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice”.
The Traffic Management Act “also requires authorities to do all that is reasonably practicable to manage the network effectively to keep traffic moving”.
This includes developing plans for unplanned events such as “unforeseen weather conditions”.
Some of the councils produce maps showing their scrub routes. (PA)
How councils interpret their mandate to ensure that roads are clear as far as is “reasonably practicable” is up to them.
There are over 225,000 miles of road in the UK, and to improve each one during the winter would cost hundreds of millions a year.
Most councils have decided to ensure their main roads are clear, with some designating secondary roads which they will clear if they can.
Stripping trucks are large and spread their seed widely, which means they may be impractical on many of the narrow and windy roads that wind across the UK.
Some councils provide refillable grit bins on residential streets so that local people can clean the streets when necessary.
Although councils have a duty to ensure that their roads are paved, many residents complain that they are not doing enough.
In 2024, Calderdale Council was forced to backtrack when it proposed cuts to its winter break plans.
Many councils offer grit bins for residents to litter their streets. (PA)
They said their plan would save £300,000 a year, but residents and businesses claimed it would leave them shortchanged.
Dudley Council is under pressure to reverse its plan to cut almost half of its gravel bins and increase the time between refills after Storm Goretti created icy conditions for many.
Safecote, a business that helps councils deal with winter, said it helped South Lanarkshire and Carmarthenshire reduce their routes from 23 to 20 and saved £250,000.
However, other councils have rejected criticism from their residents about their gravel operations.
Liverpool City Council shared an extensive message on X about their gritting operation after residents complained that roads were not being dredged enough.
Other councils have also made significant efforts to promote their multi-million pound investments in plans to tackle snow and ice weather in recent years.