Snow updates

All updates on any disruption to council services caused by the snowy conditions will be published here.

Gritters continuing to treat Essex roads

Published on 9 February 2012

Essex County Council’s fleet of winter gritters are continuing to treat the county’s main roads, with the possibility of more snow later on Thursday 9 February 2012.

Gritters were sent out at 1pm today, in advance of rush hour this evening. Further runs are likely throughout the night and into tomorrow morning. Residents can get the latest gritting updates by following Essex Travel Twitter - www.twitter.com/Essex_Travel

Tomorrow morning is likely to be icy, so residents are advised to travel with extra caution, especially when travelling on untreated roads.

During periods of severe weather the County Council is required to focus its gritting resources on keeping major roads clear, so it operates a precautionary salting network. This includes all ‘A’ and ‘B’ roads, access routes for emergency services, rural link roads and major public transport routes.

Minor roads and pavements in residential areas, and areas that are not part of the public highway such as car parks and parks will not be covered. Residents can find a map of the Essex County Council gritting network by visiting www.essex.gov.uk/winter

County Councillor Tracey Chapman, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation said: “Our gritters did a brilliant job coping with the heavy snow last weekend, and this work has continued throughout this week. With more severe weather likely I urge all residents to travel with extra caution and keep checking local weather forecasts for the latest updates.”

Leave your rubbish out

Published on 6 February 2012

Despite the bad weather we have collected the vast majority of refuse collections today. If you have not had your waste or recycling collected, please leave it out and we shall collect it tomorrow unless the weather gets worse.

We apologise for the delay and we ask residents to be patient with us.

Disruption to phone services

Published on 6 February 2012

Waste and recycling vehicles are on the road this morning despite the wintry conditions. Residents are advised to place their waste and recycling out for collection as normal.

However we have a technical problem with some of our phones this morning, including the 01992 564608 Environmental Services helpline. This is leading to difficulties for some residents trying to call our waste and recycling service.

Most other Council services are unaffected by the phone disruption and we are working to correct the fault.

We would like to thank residents for their understanding and cooperation and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Disruption to council services

Published on 5 February 2012

Heavy weekend snow is expected to cause disruption to Epping Forest District Council services on Monday 6 February. The main Civic Offices in Epping High Street will not open until 10 am, allowing extra time for staff to arrive and clearance of car parks.

Residents should place refuse and recycling out as normal but may find collections are disrupted where ice and snow delay or prevent refuse trucks getting through safely.

Two half-day Licensing and Planning seminars due to be attended by delegates from across Essex have been cancelled due to the difficult driving conditions.

Epping Forest District Council's Acting Chief Executive, Derek Macnab apologised for any temporary inconvenience caused by the severe weather. He said: "I would like to thank residents for their patience and apologise for the disruption due to the severe weather. I can assure them that the staff at Epping Forest District Council are doing all we can to bring services back to normal as quickly as possible."

Further updates on District Council services will be posted on the Council website as they become available.

Snow warning

Published on 3 February 2012

The Met Office has forecast snowy conditions in the East of England this weekend on Saturday 4 February and Sunday 5 February 2012. If this causes dangerous conditions for our collection teams, it is possible that waste and recycling collections may be disrupted.

At the moment the service is operating as normal. If the weather worsens, we will publish updates here on Monday 6 February and provide advice on what action you might need to take.

Severe weather this weekend

Essex residents are advised to prepare for severe weather conditions over the weekend. Freezing conditions and significant snowfall has been forecast for Saturday evening.

Residents are advised to take extra care when driving. Only travel if necessary. If you do need to travel, check the condition of your tyres and car battery before you leave. Pack an emergency kit (containing items such as warm clothing, bottled water, mobile phone and torch) in case you get stuck.

Essex County Council has reported that its fleet of gritters will be out as temperatures fall. The County has a healthy supply of grit available. It will focus on keeping major roads clear, operating a precautionary salting network. This includes all 'A' and 'B' roads, access routes for the emergency services, rural link roads and major public transport routes.

One hundred and twenty operatives will be on standby over a 24 hour period to keep the gritters moving. For the latest updates on gritting of local roads follow Essex County Council's Essex Travel Twitter - www.twitter.com/Essex_Travel