An update on services during the winter weather

We've updated our winter weather advice to keep you informed of council services. Please encourage your friends and family to sign up to Stay Connected e-updates to get the latest winter weather updates.

You can get further information--including health and wellbeing advice in the cold--on our Winter weather advice page. Stay up to date with the weather forecast here and follow us on Twitter. 

Schools

Keep updated on all school closures here and by checking the respective school's website.

Waste and recycling collections

A decision has been taken to postpone waste collections today (2 March), as collection vehicles cannot be safely deployed in built-up areas due to the current adverse weather conditions. Street cleansing and waste crews are assisting with gritting high risk areas and conditions will be continually monitored throughout the day. Please bear with us, we will catch up as soon as soon as we can. If possible, please take your bins off of the pavement and leave them near your boundary where we can collect them once we are able to.

In addition, the household waste recycling centre at City Depot & Recycling Park will be shut today due to the adverse weather.

Travel advice

Please plan any journeys carefully as the weather may be worsening at lunchtime. Our advice is to only make essential journeys.

The snow ploughs having gone out twice overnight and this has made a vast improvement to roads this morning.

We are gritting priority one routes throughout the day and will monitor weather forecast and conditions to determine if further gritting is needed. Though we cannot grit all roads, we have established priority routes which are the main access routes for the city. The attention will be on keeping these roads passable.

You can learn more about routes and local road maintenance in the winter via our webpage: www.southampton.gov.uk/roads-parking/road-maintenance/gritting.aspx  You can see real-time views of traffic cameras via ROMANSE: http://romanse.org.uk/CCTVSoton.htm

For real-time information on road conditions, please follow @scchighways on Twitter for live updates. 

Parking

Parking Services are aware that many people experienced difficulties getting home yesterday evening and some cars have been abandoned on the highway or in car parks. We recommend that people remove these vehicles when it is safe to do so.

Penalty Charge Notices will not be issued this morning. A further assessment will be made this afternoon, but be assured a sensible approach will be taken throughout the day in respect of cars that have been left overnight. 

Itchen Bridge

The council made the decision to lift the tolls on the Itchen Bridge yesterday afternoon (1 March) around 3:50 pm and will stay in effect today (2 March). This is in recognition of the severe weather conditions and the impact that this was having on the traffic attempting to cross the bridge.

Libraries, museums and galleries

All libraries are closed today and will remain closed on Saturday (3 March) for reasons of safety:   

www.southampton.gov.uk/libraries/library-activities/

SeaCity Museum is open today. Southampton Art Gallery is closed today. Tudor House and Garden is closed (as it is every Friday). 

Visit @SeaCityMuseum, @ArtGallerySoton, and @TudorHseGarden on Twitter for updates regarding tomorrow.

Follow @southamptoncc on Twitter for more updates: https://twitter.com/SouthamptonCC