Snow in Camden

Councillors have just received this update about how the council is responding to the snow.

Do get in touch if there's any particular areas you think we can help chase up.

More updates can be found from the front page of the Camden website - http://www.camden.gov.uk/

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Dear Councillor,
Due to freezing overnight temperatures, ice in London and the surrounding counties is the main issue today. More snow may come today.

Roads
Principle routes in Camden were gritted last night and are passable with caution. Most main roads remain open with some closed due to burst water mains which includes York Way. These have been reported to Thames Water. Arkwright Road remains closed despite the barriers being removed by the public, we continue to replace these. Side roads and pavements are icy.

Low grit levels are now a London-wide issue. We have received a delivery of 30 tonnes of grit and are expecting another 30 tonnes before 10am today with a further 100 tonnes by the end of the day.

Maintenance teams are responding to calls and will start gritting principle routes again early this afternoon.

We will be issuing messages on our website for residents to take care when using the roads and pavements and to only make car journeys that are absolutely necessary to allow our gritters to lay further grit on priority routes.

Pavements
Pavements are hazardous in many places. Street cleansing is still suspended, to allow crews to work solely on physically clearing snow from high priority pavements such as town centres, hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, schools and tube stations. This is difficult and time consuming. With the medium range forecast, supplies are being conserved.

Pavements next to main routes will get some of the gritting overflow but no other pavements in the borough will be gritted.

Gritting of roads and pavements has been carried out in line with our winter maintenance plan.

Refuse and recycling
There will be severe disruption to refuse and recycling services this week. We will make sure that every home gets at least one collection this week and will work over this weekend to catch up, weather permitting. Crews have gritted roads to Regis Road recycling centre will be opened later today.

Parks
All parks have been opened today. Paths in parks have not been gritted so could be hazardous.

Parking
Yesterday we enforced all main roads in the borough both by CCTV and on street but did not enforce side roads or carry out removals. We will enforce all main roads north of the Euston Road and carry out removals only on main roads. We will be pragmatic and fair in local circumstances where markings may be obscured. We will enforce on all roads south of Euston Road.

[Council]Transport [ie not TfL!]
Transport services will not be running today. Special educational needs children will not be transported by our services to Jack Taylor and Swiss Cottage schools who have been informed. There will be no transport to any of the day centres and resource centres who have been informed. All clients are being advised by transport services by phone. Social services are aware and are contacting effected service users. Care arrangements will be in place for any vulnerable clients.

Schools
We have provided advice to schools about opening during the bad weather. We have been told that South Camden, Maria Fidelis, St Dominics, New End, Chalcott and Gospel Oak schools are closed today. Rosary School is partially opening but the nursery is closed. We will update the web site with the most up to date information on schools.

Housing
We are prioritising gritting on walkways on estates to ensure supplies last for as long as possible.

Apollo has suspended work for health and safety reasons.

Staff
A news item will be sent to staff today saying it will be business as usual and that they are expected to travel to work as long as it is safe to do so. A message has also being left on the staff information line. If there is disruption to the transport system many staff will be able to work from home.

We will place up to date information about how services are affected on our web site so please check this regularly.

Paul Inglefield
Head of Communications