Wintery trees
Photo by Josh_Paul_Williams

Residents have a range of ways they can find out about how the winter weather is affecting what Walsall Council does for them.

Updates will be posted to Facebook and Twitter and a new blog has also been set-up where vital information can be found pulled together in one place.

Potential school closures, waste disruption, gritting updates and potential closures will all be posted to  www.walsallweather.co.uk.

Cllr Mike Bird, Walsall Council Leader, said: “We have some very experienced people who have worked with everything the weather can throw at us so we want to assure people that we have plans in place.

“We can all play a part in the cold snap. We’d ask people to take it steady in the roads during this current weather but also maybe to look out for friends, neighbours and relatives too.

“We’d also thank our friends at the Co-Operative supermarket who have come forward to help clear pavements in New Invention and Pelsall which is great to see.”

On Thursday gritters were out treading Friday’s domestic bin rounds to make it easier for the bin collection.

Weather data is being monitored around the clock with gritters to be despatched on more than 200 miles of roads across Walsall as required.

Updates on gritting and how the weather is affecting Walsall Council services will also be posted to the @walsalcouncil Twitter account as well as the Our Walsall Facebook page.

Photo by daniel.d.slee

Motorists looking to travel across the region can follow the #wmgrit hashtag for updates from more than a dozen councils as well as the Highways Agency. People without Twitter can still monitor the updates by logging on at: www.walsallweather.co.uk/severe-weather/live-gritting-updates

Prompted by weather forecasts gritting took place yesterday around the markets in Willenhall, Bloxwich and Walsall.

Handgritting is also scheduled to take place in town centres in Bloxwich, Aldridge, Darlaston Willenhall and Brownhills.

Streetly, Willenhall and North Walsall cemeteries which are open for burials were also gritted yesterday with other graveyards to be treated.

Streetly Crematorium has 18 burials due today therefore it will be ploughed early this morning along with Willenhall and North Walsall cemetery
Remaining cemeteries will be cleared by their own operatives

Street cleansing staff are prepared to hand grit Walsall town centre and district centres