COMMUNITIES are being asked to club together to clear cul-de-sacs, minor roads or pavements of snow this winter.

Bradford Council has said that with its budgets shrinking, its fleet of 23 gritting wagons will be concentrating on major routes and the highest and most treacherous areas this year.

Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, Bradford Council’s executive member for transport, said: “Because of reduced budgets the Council is having to make tough choices about how much winter gritting we can practically carry out.

“We are determined to keep the traffic flowing and the main routes clear, despite what the weather throws at us, but minor routes and enclosed estates will have to take second place to the priority roads.

“This is where residents can help by doing their bit to help themselves and their less able neighbours.”

Gritting wagons will today carry out a dry run of their 626 miles of routes ahead of the winter, while 26,000 tonnes of salt have been stockpiled.