Anyone can clear snow and ice from their property, pavements outside their home or from public spaces – there is no law against it. Follow the Met Office’s snow code to clear snow and ice safely or follow our advice below.
There are 79 salt bins around the city, and residents can use the salt on pavements in their local area. Use salt wisely, and remember that it is not for use on private property.
Salting pavements works the same way as salting roads. To be effective, people need to walk on the area and mix the salt with the snow.
Colas concentrate on salting pavements near major shopping areas, hospitals, transport hubs, schools and other public areas. Other pavements will not be salted. In the case of heavy snowfall, once priority pavements have been cleared, we will try to clear lower-priority pavements.
When clearing snow and ice, do it carefully. Following our advice will help:
- Do it early in the day – it’s easier to move fresh, loose snow
- Don’t use water – it might re-freeze and turn to black ice
- Use salt if possible – it will melt the ice or snow and stop it from re-freezing overnight
- Use ash and sand if you don’t have enough salt – it will provide a grip underfoot
- Pay extra attention when clearing steps and steep pathways – using more salt may help