To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail the steps her Department has taken to prepare for its winter service in North Down.

Prior to the start of each winter service season, my Department carries out a significant amount of pre-planning to ensure a state of readiness. Staffing arrangements have been finalised, pre-season checks on winter service equipment are complete and salt stocks have been replenished.

My Department commits significant resources to its winter service programme and every night, from the end of October, up to 300 people will be on standby ready to salt main roads, helping drivers across the north to cope with the wintry conditions. Contracts are also in place to enable contractors and farmers to help to clear roads during periods of prolonged snow.

While my Department targets the limited resources available for winter service on the busier main through routes, salt bins and grit piles are provided for use by the public, on a self-help basis, on other routes adopted or maintained by my Department, which do not qualify for inclusion on the gritting schedule. Our salt reserves have been filled to capacity over the summer months in preparation for the beginning of winter service, with additional re-orders available throughout the winter as required.

In addition, my Department has an arrangement with Ards and North Down Borough Council to salt city and town centre footways during times of prolonged ice and snow, and the council will be contacted to ensure continuity of this service for the incoming winter season should conditions dictate.

My Department’s Winter Service Policy can be viewed via the following link : RSPPG E022, and details of all salting routes can be viewed on my Department’s website via DFI Roads Salted Network.

Our routine maintenance work to provide an annual clean to all DfI gullies in the Ards and North Down Borough Council area is also on-going alongside the routine cleaning of roadside channels and open drains and will continue throughout the winter season.

In preparation for and during flood events local staff will utilise available resources to support community resilience groups in flood risk areas and respond, where possible, to requests for assistance from the public where property has suffered or is threatened by flooding. Departmental depots are fully stocked with sandbags for temporary flood protection which will be distributed directly when required.