We work in partnership with parish/town councils and residents’ associations to run a network of voluntary snow wardens.
If you would like to participate, please speak to your parish/town council or residents’ association, housing association or district/borough council.
What do snow wardens do?
- provide information to the County Highways Team on the local situation during the period of severe weather conditions
- consult with area teams on local needs and determine jointly what local action needs to be taken. Priority will be given to busy footway areas, areas outside shops and schools, and steep areas agreed in advance
- when conditions warrant it, area teams will sanction the treatment of agreed village/town footways using salt from the existing grit bins or at agreed locations as highway resources allow
- any works undertaken will follow the suggested guidelines in the government Snow Code, as highlighted below
Government Snow Code
There is no law stopping you from clearing snow and ice on the pavement outside your property, pathways to your property or public space.
If an accident did happen, it’s highly unlikely that you would be sued as long as you:
- are careful
- use common sense to make sure that you don’t make the pavement or pathway clearly more dangerous than before
Tips and advice on clearing snow and ice
- Start early – it’s much easier to clear fresh, loose snow compared to compacted ice that has been compressed by people walking on it
- Don’t use hot water – this will melt the snow, but may replace it with black ice, increasing the risk of injury
- Be a good neighbour – Some people may be unable to clear snow and ice on paths from their property
- If shovelling snow, think about where you are going to put it so that it doesn’t block people’s paths or drainage channels
- Make a pathway down the middle of the area to be cleared first, so you have a clear surface to walk on
- Spreading some salt on the area you have cleared will help stop ice forming – table salt or dishwasher salt will work, but avoid spreading on plants or grass as they may be damaged by it
- Pay particular care and attention to steps and steep gradients
- Use the sun to your advantage – removing the top layer of snow will allow the sun to melt any ice beneath. However, you will need to cover any ice with salt to stop it refreezing overnight
- Use salt carefully as only a small amount is required. If there’s no salt available, sand or ash are good alternatives
To volunteer as a Snow Warden please see the contact details to the right of this page.