Grit Bins

Keighley Town Council shall provide grit bins for self-help by members of the public.

1.What is Grit?

Grit is another name for ‘rock salt’ and it helps keep roads safe by preventing them becoming icy; it works by lowering the temperature at which water freezes. It relies on pedestrian movement on pavements or the action of vehicle tyres to spread it over the road, but it can get too cold for the salt to work. Below -5 degrees centigrade the effectiveness of grit is reduced, and pavements/roads may still freeze. Rain or snow can wash the salt away leaving the area prone to re-icing, so salting ideally needs to take place after rain but before the water freezes.

2. Grit Bin Provision

Keighley Town Council will only provide a new grit bin in cases where there has never been a grit bin, and subject to meeting the approved criteria set out in the application.

3. Key factors that are considered include:

Highway gradient, Highway safety and Distance to next grit box. Other factors e.g., elderly persons accommodation; known water problems; junction problems; unadopted status.

Grit bins shall only be located where at least two of the criteria in List (A) are met and all the remaining eight in List (B)

List (A)

• The gradient is greater than 1 in 10. (For every 10 feet you move forward, your height increases by 1 foot)
• A junction or road with a known history of
• The Acceptable number of disabled or elderly residents within the bin vicinity should be one third of those people named on the Application Form.

List (B)

• Not on a route already gritted by Bradford
• Must be for use on the public highway. (Road and footway)
• The location shall not obstruct the passage of
• A minimum of 1.5m clearance on the footway is
• The location shall not obstruct the line-of-sight for vehicles or
• The location is not within 200m of another grit bin
• The location is within an urban
• The location is either within the boundary of a public road or can be sited on private land with the landowner’s permission in a way to give safe uninterrupted access by residents, Keighley Town Council operatives, contractors and or authorised

1. Where Grit Bins will not be provided

The Council will not provide grit bins in private areas or car parks or any other public or private property such as schools, parks, hospitals, old people’s homes, etc. unless a service agreement is in place.

1. Location of Grit Bins

Grit bins will only be located where they can be filled from a lorry. The grit bins shall be replenished three times during the winter period and ad hoc fills will be made subject to weather conditions during the winter period, subject to resources being available. Grit bins will be left in place during the summer months unless there is a history of vandalism at a particular location. In the case of continued damage being caused the Committee may decide to remove the Grit bin permanently.

The locations of grit bins will be recorded and made available on the Council’s website.

1. Use of Grit

The grit in the bin is purely for use on the public highway and footpaths. If the grit is used on private land/footpaths/driveways consideration will be given for the removal of the bin.

1. Applications for a Grit Bin

An application will not be considered unless the agreement is supported by at least 50% of households within 100 meters of the proposed bin location.

Only one member of a household can support an application.

The submission of an application does not guarantee a bin will be provided, all new bins matching the criteria will be considered at the Public Spaces and Assets Committee meeting.