THE North-East’s biggest council is cutting the amount of salt it is putting on the roads – starting on Christmas Day.

In the face of dwindling stocks and further forecasts of sub-zero temperatures and snow, Durham County Council is slashing its pre-salting operations from 45 per cent of all routes to 35 per cent.

Angry council chiefs have blamed the Government, accusing the Department for Transport (DfT) of diverting salt out of the region and masking supply shortages.

Councillor Bob Young, cabinet member for strategic environment and leisure, said the DfT was advising salt mines where priority deliveries should be made and, despite Government assurances of a 250,000-tonne national supply, he claimed only 100,000 tonnes was in place – with only 30,000 available for councils.

He said: “I do not believe the county council could have been any better prepared for the winter period.”

Last night’s announcement came hours after the DfT refused the council’s request for supplies from the national strategic salt reserve.

However, a DfT spokeswoman rejected Coun Young’s claims, saying it had not redirected or stopped deliveries to highways authorities and, as of December 13 there was 1.25m tonnes of salt held across Britain.

Last year, the Labour Government introduced a national Salt Cell body to control supplies. Reports claim a similar group is in the making.

The DfT denied this.

Durham County Council has used 28,000 tonnes of its record 40,000-tonne salt stocks in the past eight weeks. It is spreading 1,400 tonnes a day on its roads and, despite ordering 19,000 tonnes more last month, has received none.

Transport bosses are working with other councils to secure deliveries from overseas but do not expect them to arrive until the end of January.

An attempt earlier this year to establish a regional salt reserve failed.

No other councils in the region have reported problems getting deliveries.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is taking deliveries direct from Boulby Potash Mine, in Loftus, east Cleveland.

A North Yorkshire County Council spokeswoman said the withholding of salt was not an issue the authority was aware of. Darlington Borough Council said it had orders in for more salt and expected to receive them.

County Durham’s cutbacks will mean:

● Only A and B roads and key rural links are pre-salted;

● Priority Two roads will be snow-ploughed but not salted;

● Twelve town centres and Durham city centre will be salted and cleared;

● Pavements in other areas will be cleared and gritted but not salted;

● Salt bins and roadside piles will be replenished with grit but not salt.

In an attempt to be prepared for this winter, the council ordered 13,000 tonnes more salt than last year, built two new salt barns, extended arrangements with contractors and bought new footpath-clearing equipment, using funding from NHS County Durham.

But it has spent £1.4m already this winter – £750,000 more than expected, and expects to go £1.25m over its £2.75m budget. However, Coun Young said any required funds would be made available.

Pre-salting 35 per cent of routes will save 300 tonnes a day.

Last year, the council twice cut pre-salting – down to 15 per cent of routes. But Coun Young said there were no plans for further reductions.

He said: “We are continuing to work hard to keep the road network maintained and have now allocated additional funding to buy more salt from other sources as well as from the national stockpile, which is being offered at a significantly increased price.”

A DfT spokeswoman said: “The department is monitoring salt stock holdings on a weekly basis in order to ensure that the country remains resilient through the winter period. It’s obviously for each local highways authority to set its own winter service strategy and to put in place resources to deliver it, including sufficient salt supplies.

“However, we confirmed last week that a limited supply of salt from the national strategic stockpile, as a precautionary measure, will be made available over the Christmas holiday period.

“Taking this precautionary action now should ensure that authorities can cope with any further extreme weather over Christmas and the New Year, thereby avoiding the difficulties experienced last year.”