Southwark Council proudly announced they’ve 1,400 tonnes of salt and grit in stock for this Winter. We’ve not had snow so they’ve not needed to use that grit or salt. At £30-40 per tonne that should be good news for Southwark tax payers…

So can they keep this grit and salt to use next winter making a windfall saving of around £50,000? Well they could have if they’d kept it in good condition and way from any rain. If it gets wet before use salt and grit cakes and doesn’t go through spreaders properly if at all. It also leaches into the drainage and water systems which is a problem for the environment. You can see from this picture taken first thing today (junction of Latona and Haymerle) that its an uncovered mountian of salt.

Quoting the Local Government Association“Does salt keep? Yes if it is kept in the right conditions and not exposed to the elements. This is why councils keep their salt under cover or in barns.” Sadly Southwark Council hasn’t kept theirs covered and have repeatedly refused to buy a salt barn.

So that’s around £50,000 blown + the costs of disposal.

Last year with only a small amount leftover and uncovered the administration will protest that the elements don’t damage salt – perhaps they think it’s water proof!