Brighton & Hove's gritters go on 24-hour standby from 1 November to the end of March, with 300 tonnes of salt and 400 grit bins. Which roads get treated first.
Brighton & Hove’s winter road service starts on Sunday 1 November. Crews and three gritters will be on standby 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until the end of March 2027.
The council announced its plans today (Brighton & Hove City Council, 29 October 2026).
The winter service in numbers
The council’s release and its winter road maintenance page give these figures:
| What | How much |
|---|---|
| Gritters on standby | 3 (hybrid vehicles) |
| Grit in store | about 300 tonnes |
| Grit used in a typical winter | about 200 tonnes |
| Roads treated | about 156 miles |
| Pavements in the city | more than 1,000km |
| Public grit bins | about 400 |
Road temperature sensors across the city and detailed forecasts decide when and where the crews go out. More grit can be bought in during a long cold spell, the council says.
Which roads get gritted
The council does not grit every road. Its page says treating all of them “would cost the council several million pounds”. The priority routes are:
- key bus corridors and major roads
- routes to hospitals and emergency services
- routes serving schools
- the city centre
The council publishes a gritting route map showing which roads are treated.
Some roads in and around the city are not the council’s job. The A23, M23 and A27 Brighton bypass are run by National Highways. The Ditchling, Falmer and Saltdean borders are looked after by East Sussex County Council, and the Fishersgate and Devil’s Dyke borders by West Sussex.
Grit bins and pavements
Grit bins will be inspected and topped up before the season starts, then refilled through the winter as needed. They are typically refilled two or three times a winter.
Residents are welcome to use the salt to clear pavements outside their own and their neighbours’ homes. The council suggests a small shovel or container to spread it.
In severe weather, extra contractors help clear snow and grit pavements on essential routes. These include the areas around hospitals, schools and care homes.
What it means for you
- A gritted road can still be icy. Salt only melts sleet or light snow. It needs traffic to spread it, and below about minus 5C it has no effect at all.
- Rain can wash grit away, so crews usually wait until rain stops before salting.
- Check the route map before an early or late journey on a cold night. Side roads off the priority network are not treated.
- Report an empty or damaged grit bin using the council’s grit bin request form.
Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet member for Transport and City Infrastructure, said: “Our teams are prepared around the clock throughout the winter season, and we’ve reviewed our plans to make sure our routes, equipment and supplies are ready for whatever the weather brings.”
For live disruption on the roads, see our roadworks and travel page.
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