Grit bins

We provide grit bins for the public to help keep the roads and pavements clear. The salt is not intended for use on private drives and paths.

Requesting a grit bin

We assess all requests for grit bins each year between May and October. The location must tick at least 5 of the following for a grit bin to be considered:

• must be on the public highway
• at sharp or difficult bends
• junctions where the side road approach has a gradient
• on particularly steep gradients elsewhere (of 10% or greater)
• community facilities (health centres
• only access road to a community
• at known problem sites
• not on roads which are included in the precautionary treatment network
• will not be placed less than 150m from an existing bin

Town and Parish councils may decide to install their own private grit bin. This may be if a location does not meet the criteria. They would be subject to approval from West Northamptonshire Council.

To request a new grit bin, please email [email protected]. Your request will then be added to a list for assessment.

We inspect and fill all West Northamptonshire Council owned bins at the beginning of the winter period. We will provide more grit when needed depending upon our available resources, their usage and the severity of the weather. You can request a bin to be refilled using Fix My Street.

Grit bin removal

Grit bins often become the focus of vandalism or a meeting place for people. If this becomes an unbearable nuisance, you can request that we remove the bin.

You would need to get the agreement of other residents, before we could withdraw the facility. To ask for a bin to be removed, please email [email protected].

Damaged grit bins

The condition of grit bins and the use of salt will be recorded at the time of filling. Where grit bins require replacement, its location will be assessed against the criteria detailed above before replacement.

The number of council-owned grit bins in West Northamptonshire

The number of our grit bins in West Northamptonshire as of 2022 are:

Last updated 11 April 2024