Ne'er cast a clout until May is out

摘要

Depending on where you are in the UK, the winter maintenance season usually ends no later than the last week of April with some authorities winding their response down during the month. However, snow covered footpaths greeted many people who turned out to vote on 6 May, following the coldest April for just under 100 years. While snow in May is not unheard of, changes in weather patterns show it is important that we continue to learn and adjust our winter maintenance activities. A new look at the treatments of footways and cycleways has been undertaken to reflect the shift in transport to cycling and walking and placing appropriate importance on these active travel modes.Advances in technology are also covered in the new guidance as improved systems are coming to market at an increasing pace.The NWSRG has for many years teamed up with the IHE to provide competence training and assessment for individuals who undertake winter maintenance duties. Our current course has been updated to ensure it reflects the new guidance documents.