A NEW winter gritting routine is being launched across Dorset in moves that the council hopes will save around £20,000 and 880 tonnes of salt.

Dorset Council will be replacing its old method of gritting an entire domain by using a new route-based forecasting system to decide when and where to grit roads.

The new system will use information from MeteoGroup, a weather forecasting agency, as well as data from the council's 11 roadside weather stations so Dorset Highways can make individual decisions for each of the 22 routes in the council area.

Roads included in the 22 main gritting routes are those used by the majority of the travelling public. They cover 684 miles and account for roughly 28 per cent of the Dorset Council road network.

The new, more targeted approach will reduce emissions from fewer lorry movements, use less rock salt, which is a finite resource, and save money by reducing the number of gritting runs needed.

Councillor Ray Bryan, portfolio holder for highways, travel and environment, said: "The road network we monitor and treat over the winter is not changing, but the way we make gritting decisions is.

"Previously, gritting routes were put into four domains with an entire domain being treated following a forecast of low road surface temperatures anywhere in that area.

"We will now receive a forecast for each individual route. This route-based system would have saved 110 lorry movements, at least 880 tonnes of salt and £20,000 last winter.

"A route-based approach to gritting will also help us move towards dynamic spreading, where a viable spread-rate of salt can be used on the same route, bringing further environmental benefits and monetary savings."

From November 1 to March 31, Dorset Highways runs a 24-hour on call rota to ensure roads can be gritted any time of day or night during winter, keeping drivers travelling safely.

Salt is stocked up ahead of the winter period, with 13,500 tonnes of salt stored across five highways depots in preparation for the cold weather.

Where prolonged cold weather is forecast, community routes outside of the main 22 gritting routes are also treated so that more rural communities can continue to travel safely.