AS the nights draw in and the morning coffee doesn't quite wake you up as it should, workers down at the Raglan depot are getting ready to grit the roads to aid our safety on the streets of Monmouthshire.

The Beacon went to the depot in Raglan to speak to Mark Watkins, Highways area engineer, and Councillor Bryan Jones about the work that goes into keeping the streets gritted and safe for pedestrians and drivers.

Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) has prepared for the icy weather by ordering a full stock of 10,700 tonnes of salt to keep roads open this winter.

Mark Watkins said: "We started our preparation towards the end of October last year and that extended into early March. The length of time we grit all depends on the weather. We keep a close eye on the forecast and are sent daily reports from the Met Office.

"There are three depots in Monmouthshire: Raglan, Llanfoist and Crick.

"We get all our salt delivered from a company in Cheshire called Salt Union.

"This year we've stocked an extra 900 tonnes so if we have a bad winter we won't have to import the grit at a higher rate. We have a salt management system which notifies us if we're getting low on grit, our engineers can also tell from experience if more salt needs to be delivered.

"There are certain areas where we don't grit, known as secondary routes, obviously the priority is to grit the roads used the most, such as dual carriageways.

"We fill the grit bins in certain areas where the public can salt the roads if we can't. We also liaise with the health authority with regards to dialysis patients and grit to make sure these people can get out.

"Also if there's someone with a priority job, such as a GP on call, then we'll do the same."

Councillor Bryan Jones, Monmouthshire's cabinet member for county operations, said: "We take the view at MCC that safety on the roads is of paramount importance.

"We have many people working on the roads and are very pragmatic about it, we want to keep people safe.

"Safety is always a priority in Monmouthshire. The last thing we'd want is to shirk our responsibilities. Budgets are important at the moment but road safety is crucial.

"Despite often very severe conditions our teams are well prepared. It's good to know that we can rely on their professional standards to keep the county moving and guarantee that we arrive home safely."

The council has trained 30 members of staff who can be re-deployed from waste collection and grounds maintenance to assist in keeping the county's roads clear during severe weather.

"In the winter agricultural contractors are also used in rural areas, and in the snow fall they are a great asset to us," Cllr Bryan Jones added.

Last year more than 6,500 tonnes of salt were used to allow businesses and schools to operate effectively and provide a lifeline for vulnerable residents.

Pictured: Getting ready to grit, (from left to right) Highways area engineer, Mark Watkins and Councillor Bryan Jones.