Derbyshire council prepares for snow

Derbyshire County Council is making plans to cope with snow.
Stock picture - obviously. It's lovely outside.Stock picture - obviously. It's lovely outside.
Stock picture - obviously. It's lovely outside.

The authority wants to hear from farmers and others with ploughing or gritting equipment to help clear the county's roads of the white stuff this winter.

Anyone approved to sign up to the scheme will get £200 to be on the books and there will be an extra payment if they are called out. Last year around 60 volunteers signed up.

To qualify for the scheme volunteers need to:

- provide their own equipment

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- be available to work between 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday − although they may be asked to help outside these times if conditions are really bad

- be available for work between October 1, 2016, to April 30, 2017

- arrange appropriate insurance

- be able to respond to a call out within 90 minutes

Councillor Dean Collins, the county council's cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure, said: "While we hopefully still have some warmer weeks to come, the reality is that winter isn't that far off and we have to start planning now to make sure we've got the right resources in place to deal with colder conditions.

"We spend around £2million a year on helping to keep our county's roads on the move in winter.

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"We look after around 3,500 miles of road and grit around half of them but we are facing unprecedented cuts − we will have a third less money to spend on services by 2020 compared to 2010. That's why we need the support of local communities, particularly in the more remote parts of our county, if conditions get really bad."

Coun Collins added: "Any contribution which helps local communities is very much appreciated."