Winter salt stores to increase
Large salt stores are to be built to ensure mid Wales can cope with extreme winters.
Powys County Council has agreed to spend £1.5 million building units in Newtown and Llangammarch Wells.
At the moment the county can store 23,000 tonnes.
But a report say that to keep the county and trunk roads open during a tough winter would need 32,500 tonnes.
Cabinet member for assets Phyl Davies signed up the decision this week.
There is no figure available yet for this winter's salt use , but with long periods of freezing weather and three major snowfalls it is likely to be well above that average.
The report said £1.486 million is available from capital funding to provide an additional ‘strategic salt storage’.
Councillor Davies said: “Increasing salt storage will reduce the reliance on winter restocking, which is undertaken at a higher cost than summer restocking.”
