QUAD bikes, knapsack sprayers, farm tractors and town and parish councils are all to be used in this year’s winter campaign to keep Cambridgeshire moving.

QUAD bikes, knapsack sprayers, farm tractors and town and parish councils are all to be used in this year’s winter campaign to keep Cambridgeshire moving.

Highways director Mark Kemp has summarised the county council’s latest initiatives following two “exceptional” winters.

Mr Kemp’s report, to go before the Environment and Sustainability Scrutiny Committee on Monday, proposes that quad bikes will be trialled in Cambridge whilst knapsack sprayers will be used elsewhere in the county for gritting.

A review was launched after exceptionally dangerous conditions last year raised doubts over whether the current policy was fit for purpose.

Parish, town and city councils have been consulted and local farmers are being enlisted to help during the severe weather.

Mr Kemp says parish and town councils involved in gritting could also join a scheme whereby they would be covered for insurance.

A hierarchy of roads has been established, with priority for grit given to all A and B roads, links to emergency services and roads adjacent to major fen drains. The council is also considering treating school bus routes.

Requests for further routes to be prioritised have been lodged by several councils, with areas of Chatteris, Christchurch, Manea and Wisbech St Mary included.

Officer recommendations would see all of these requests rejected - except the Front Road, Murrow and Sandbank bus routes of Wisbech St Mary, which would be accepted as secondary routes.

It is recommended that requests to treat routes around Townley Primary School, in Christchurch, are rejected as they “do not fit any criteria”.

The following routes have been added to the list due to be treated.

Fenland Division

C12 Hassock Hill / Cross Drove – place to place deep roadside drains. (Gorefield, Newton and Tydd St Giles Parishes

C20 Seadyke Road / Bank – Deep Drains (Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary Parishes)

C20 Back Road – Deep Drains (Parson Drove and Wisbech St Mary Parish)

Front Road, Murrow – Bus Route (Wisbech St Mary Parish)

C32 Black Drove – Deep Drains (Wisbech St Mary Parish)

C32 Bridge Drove / Long Drove – Drains plus linking of two required routes (Parson Drove)

C31 Redmoor Bank -Deep Drains (Wisbech Town Council / Elm Parish)

C31 Redmoor Lane linking of two required routes (Elm Parish)

C36 Laddus Drove – Linking two required routes and T junction at river junction (Elm Parish)

C69 Old Whittlesey Road – Deep Drains (March Town / Whittlesey Town Councils)

C78 Floods Ferry Road – Strategic/Crematorium present/LGV use and place to place drains

C84 Ibbersons Drove, T junction with 40 Foot Drain and place to place drains/Linking Routes

The council will also hear representations from four Fenland town and parish clerks:

CHATTERIS: Larham Way and St Martin’s Road- rejected. “These are cul de-sacs and so do not meet any criteria”

CHRISTCHURCH: Upwell Road into Crown road and back out of the village via Church Road- primary school is on this route.-rejected. “Upwell Road is treated but the other roads do not fit any criteria to be treated”

MANEA: Bus route which serves village revised- request to add additional section- rejected. “Does not fit criteria”.

WISBECH ST MARY: Front Road, Murrow and Sandbank bus routes- accepted as secondary routes. “These are bus routes that run less than five days a week and so will be included.”