CHILDREN hoping for a few extra days holiday in the big freeze may be disappointed but Hampshire County Council aims to clear snow from roads to all schools this winter.

The council's ruling Cabinet today approved extending the council's gritting network to include nine new "community routes", covering schools, GP surgeries and local shops.

The move comes as the Siberian blast has already generated the coldest November in about a quarter of a century with snow due to hit parts of Hampshire this week.

The county council has used 2,000 tonnes of salt over the last seven days and forecasters have warned the mercury will plunge even lower as the severe winter weather continues until next week.

The changes follow an assessment of the Conservative council's response to wintry weather last January and February when schools closed with ice and heavy snow causing travel chaos.

The proposed new community routes for gritting in severe winter weather will cost up to £250,000 extra per year.

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Nine new mini-salt spreaders and lorries to carry them will be used by council contractor Amey.

In addition, the council has added roads to the main routes for salting, including those near train and bus stations.

Other improvements include 1,300 new public grit bins distributed around the county with a further 600 on order. The new bins are blue with the county council's logo.

Director of environment Stuart Jarvis said: "They are bigger bins carrying more salt. We have already doubled the amount of salt in the community."

Making a quip about the Conservative and Liberal Democrat party colours, Lib Dem Councillor Brian Dash said: "We welcome the enormous increase in grit bins even though they are blue ones. They are not quite as visible as yellow ones but so long as they contain stocks of salt and grit."

In total, the council has increased its stock of salt from 12,000 tonnes to 18,000 tonnes - three times the Government recommended level.

Last winter salt stocks ran low as two salt mines in Cheshire struggled to cope with demand and dwindling supplies were rationed by government.

This winter the county council has changed suppliers and imported salt from Egypt via Southampton Docks. Plans are in the pipeline to order another boat-load in January.

Some 6,000 tonnes of salt are being kept temporarily under tarpaulin in Barton Stacey while a new salt barn is built in Micheldever.

Council leader Councillor Ken Thornber said: "Our winter service on the roads was certainly tested to the limit last year, the worst weather Hampshire had seen in 30 years and while we carefully managed our salt supply and managed to keep the majority of the network passable, the severe weather highlighted areas where improvement was necessary."

The new community routes include areas in the New Forest, Test Valley, Eastleigh, Winchester, Fareham and Gosport.