FINAL EVENING UPDATE:

Forecast

Current snow showers should clear in the next hour or two. Tonight will have quite a lot of cloud with just the odd snow showers. RSTs will be below zero with ice and hoar frost. Tomorrow morning will see a few snow showers mostly in the east.

Highways Update

Work has continued today on priority routes.

Tractor ploughs have provided assistance in areas inaccessible to front line gritters.

Snow blower will be deployed as soon as possible to assist in reopening closed roads.

A full gritting run commenced at 2pm with the gritters then standing down, and then routes patrolled due to showers.

A further treatment of priority 1 routes will commence at 6pm; the gritters will patrol and retreat later if necessary before standing down.

Gritters will be back on duty at 4am to treat as necessary.

The situation will be reviewed again at 7am.

 

Road Conditions Including  Roads Closed

The following roads are reported as closed

 

• B6278  Eggleston to Stanhope at Shaftwellhead – Now open
• C20 Crawleyside to Baybridge
• B6278 Stanhope to Edmundbyers at Crawleyside – Now open
• Unc Intake Bank, Frosterley
• C21 Rookhope to Allenheads – Now open
• Unc Packlets Road Rookhope
• B6277 Harwood to County Boundary – Now open
• B6276 Middleton-in-Teesdale to County Boundary closed at Lunedale – Now open
• B6295 Cowshill to Allenheads – Now open
• C16 Crawleyside to Castleside – Now open
• Unc 16.2 Rookhope to Blanchland – Now open
• C77 & C78 Rookhope to Westgate & Ireshopeburn
• C28 Swinhope
• Unc Burhope Reservoir

 

Some exposed high level Pennine roads are only passable with care.

 

Salt Bins

Gangs will continue to replenish salt bins countywide tomorrow.

 

Streetscene

 

Clean and Green

Clean and Green staff have worked hard clearing priority 1 and 2 footpaths, main shopping areas, areas around emergency services buildings and cemeteries with the assistance of tractors and kabotas with ploughs and spreaders.  Staff have also assisted waste collections by clearing snow, salting in harder to reach areas and pulling bins to suitable collection points where they could.

Refuse and Recycling

Although progress has been made today, snow, ice and freezing ground conditions did make it impossible to collect in many areas.  Crews have also had to contend with breakdowns and road closures.  Please refer to areas below which outline how collections have gone today.

 

East – All rounds complete in the East with exception of the following streets in Durham City and Brandon.  In Durham City we were unable to collect in Oswald Court, Wanless Terrace, Finney Terrace, South Street, Briardene, Wear View, Gilesgate Bank, Highwood View, Archery Rise and the Sidings.  Streets affected in Brandon are Scripton Gill, Pear Lea, Pine Lea, Palm Lea, Poplar Lea, Sycamore Park, Aged Miners, Midhill Close, Roman Road, Lexington Court, Alferton Court and half of Deerness Heights.

 

South –  Although we have made every effort to collect refuse today there has been disruptions in a lot of areas.  Collections have been attempted in Trimdon, Fishburn, Sedgefield, Woodland, Bedburn and Hamsterley however there are a number of streets and rural properties which have not had a collection.  Regarding recycling collections, we have collected at Coundon, Leeholm and Bishop Auckland however there are many streets that we have found impossible to access.  No recycling has been collected in Rookhope, Eastgate, Westgate, Daddry Shields, St Johns Chapel, Ireshipeburn, Wearhead, Cowshill, Lanehead, Middleton in Teesdale, Harwood, Mickleton, Newbiggin and Langdon Beck.

 

North – Access and dangerous conditions in the Consett area meant that collections could not be completed today.  Some limited collections have been made in the Chester-le-Street area however there are streets there which have been difficult to access and therefore todays collections are not up to date.

 

Please note that weather conditions will be assessed tomorrow in conjunction with the availability of machinery and every attempt will be made to return to areas which have been missed.

 

Building & Facilities Maintenance

 

Conditions have worsened this afternoon and the temperature is expected to drop below zero however the main roads are clear for now.  Maintenance staff working in Durham Housing Maintenance and Public Buildings continue to experience access issues to premises due to the poor condition of the side roads and estate roads..

 

There are 88 school closures posted on the DCC website which is over 30% of all schools in County Durham.  There are less school closures today than yesterday.  Clearly some of the work that has taken place to clear and grit school grounds and the lack of further significant snowfalls have improved the school closure position.

 

No schools are closed as a result of building/heating issues.  They remain closed due to the wider health and safety concerns of travel and access as a result of the prevailing weather. Schools that are closed today have been contacted to offer whatever assistance we can to help them re-open as soon as possible.

 

Those staff that are unable to undertake their normal duties as a consequence of the prevailing weather have been redirected to work with Streetscene and Highways Operations colleagues to clear Priority 2 footpaths and car parks across the county.

 

No Public Buildings or Civic and Admin buildings are closed as a result of the prevailing weather.  Staff are on standby tonight to attend to any requests for  assistance from Durham City Homes tenants and Public Buildings staff and schools.

 

UPDATE FROM 2PM:

Forecast

This afternoon will have a few sleet or snow showers, especially near the east coast. Tonight will have quite a lot of cloud with just the odd snow showers. RSTs will be below zero with ice and hoar frost. Tomorrow morning will see a few snow showers mostly in the east

Highways Update

Work has continued throughout the morning in problem areas with gritters being redirected to provide assistance as necessary.

Tractor ploughs have provide assistance in areas inaccessible to front line gritters.

Snow blower will be deployed as soon as possible to assist in reopening closed roads.

A full gritting run will commence at 2pm with the gritters then standing down.

A further treatment of priority 1 routes will commence at 6pm; the gritters will patrol and retreat later if necessary before standing down.

Gritters will be back on duty at 4am to treat as necessary.

The situation will be reviewed again at 7am.

 

Road Conditions including Roads Closed

The following roads are reported as closed

 

• B6278  Eggleston to Stanhope at Shaftwellhead
• C20 Crawleyside to Baybridge
• B6278 Stanhope to Edmundbyers at Crawleyside – Now open
• Unc Intake Bank, Frosterley
• C21 Rookhope to Allenheads
• Unc Packlets Road Rookhope
• B6277 Harwood to County Boundary – Now open
• B6276 Middleton-in-Teesdale to County Boundary closed at Lunedale- Now open
• B6295 Cowshill to Allenheads – Now open
• C16 Crawleyside to Castleside – Now open
• Unc 16.2 Rookhope to Blanchland – Now open
• C77 & C78 Rookhope to Westgate & Ireshopeburn
• C28 Swinhope
• Unc Burhope Reservoir

 

Some exposed high level Pennine roads are only passable with care.

 

Salt Bins

Gangs will continue to replenish salt bins countywide for the remainder of today and again tomorrow..

 

Streetscene

 

Clean and Green Update
Clean and Green staff continue to clear priority 1 and 2 footpaths.  Kabotas with ploughs and spreaders are clearing main shopping areas, areas around emergency services buildings and at cemeteries. Staff also assisting refuse and recycling by clearing hard to access areas and pulling bins to suitable collection points.

Refuse and Recycling Update
With the heavy snow fall it is likely that there will be some disruption for properties on higher ground  and areas where it is harder to access such as the Dales, Consett and Blackhills.   We will endeavour to collect where we can and continue to monitor weather conditions, reporting back any missed areas this afternoon.

Building & Facilities Maintenance

Conditions have improved this morning and all the main roads are clear.  However maintenance staff working in Durham Housing Maintenance and Public Buildings are having to contend with poor driving conditions on the side roads and estate roads to get to premises.

 

There are now 88 school closures posted on the DCC website which is over 30% of all schools in County Durham.  There are less school closures than at this time yesterday.  Clearly some of the work that has taken place to clear and grit school grounds and the lack of further significant snowfall overnight have improved the school closure position.

 

No schools are closed as a result of building / heating issues.  They remained closed due to the wider health and safety concerns of travel and access following the snow.

 

Schools that are closed today are being contacted to offer whatever assistance we can to help them re-open as soon as possible.

 

Those staff that are unable to undertake their normal duties as a consequence of the prevailing weather have been redirected to work with Streetscene and Highways Operations colleagues to clear Priority 2 footpaths and car parks across the county.

 

No Public Buildings or Civic and Admin are closed as a result of the prevailing weather.