From today’s Guardian

The government sought to avert a grit crisis yesterday by asking councils and highways chiefs to cut usage by at least a quarter, amid indications that Britain faces a serious road salt shortage by the end of next week.

According to one estimate in Whitehall, local authorities and the Highways Agency are getting through 60,000 tonnes of salt per day – double the usual rate for a serious cold snap. Daily salt production cannot keep up, running at 15,000 tonnes per day with a stockpile of 320,000 tonnes of salt left until supplies arrive from Spain on 22 January, and the US on 28 January.

Under that scenario, and with more heavy snow expected over the weekend, salt stocks would reach a critical state by Friday without a 25% cut in grit distribution.

The AA said that it had written to the Department for Transport and the Local Government Association two months ago to warn salt supplies could not cope with a repeat of last February’s big freeze, when the response of local authorities was heavily criticised. “This cold snap is longer than forecast but we did have warnings last February,” said Edmund King, AA president.

A DfT spokesman said the figures were “purely speculative.” He added: “The overall picture is constantly fluctuating owing to the fact that each local authority across the country has varying supplies of salt and different rates of usage.” According to one Whitehall source, a key concern is replenishing stocks if there is another deep freeze over the next month.

The request to use less came as Britain’s chill factor was set to drop further, with icy winds sweeping across the country this weekend. The agency, meanwhile, announced it would no longer be gritting motorway hard shoulders, to preserve supplies for other areas hit by the coldest winter for 30 years.

The country’s two main salt mines in Cheshire and north-east Yorkshire are working at full capacity, but cannot keep up with the huge demand. Councils have been asked to focus on key routes for emergency services and essential supplies, while sharing their stocks with those authorities which are suffering the most serious shortages.

The transport secretary, Lord Adonis, said the current supplies to local authorities were sufficient to last until Tuesday when the government’s “salt cell” committee next meets to direct the distribution of new supplies.