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Highway Maintenance

Road salt (grit) bins

There are over 3000 blue or yellow bins filled with salt and/or grit for use in the community on public roads and pavements. They are not provided for private use.

The location of each salt bin can be seen on the salt routes online map:

Map - salt routes and salt bins

Where to use the salt

The salt / grit in the community bins is for use only in the community on public paths, pavements and roads. The salt is not for private use on driveways or garden paths.

Who can use the salt?

Anyone can use the salt to put on the roads or pavements. This can be particularly useful for example, to ‘join up’ salting from the main road carried out by County Council salting vehicles - to smaller access roads or on the pavements to the local school.

How much salt to use?

One tablespoon of salt (20 grams) is sufficient to treat one square metre of road / pavement surface. Please use the salt carefully – overuse will result in it being used up too quickly.

Clearing snow and ice from pavements

For advice on clearing snow and ice from pavements yourself, see the snow code on the Met Office website:

Clearing snow and ice from pavements yourself (Met Office)

How do the bins get refilled?

Road problems - report an empty, damaged or missing salt bin

We will refill the salt bins as soon as reasonably possible, and in bad weather we will endeavour to fill up empty bins on route.

At times of prolonged severe weather, the priority of the winter maintenance teams will be to salt the main roads and we may not be able to refill the salt bins as quickly as at other times.

Bins will not be refilled where people have taken the contents for their own personal use, and Hampshire County Council reserves the right to remove bins where the contents are being continually taken for private use.

Who decides where the bins go?

Hampshire County Council will consider requests for additional grit bins should they meet the following criteria:

The bin must not obstruct sight lines
There must be sufficient space on the public highway for the bin to be located and for the bin to be refilled
The bins will be placed in areas of significant pedestrian and traffic use
The bins will be placed in places near to where there is a significant ice risk or slope

Requests for additional bins are best co-ordinated by your local Parish or Town Council or Community Group but can also be submitted direct to Hampshire County Council.

How do I find a contact for my local parish council?

A list of town and parish councils is available:

Parish and Town Council Web Sites