HAMPSHIRE needs more salt storage barns to ensure stocks don’t run out in extreme wintry weather.

That’s the view of Hampshire’s deputy leader, Roy Perry, who warned that the Government’s decision to take control of ordering and distributing salt supplies to local authorities was a bad move.

“We could be in a very difficult predicament if there are any further snowfalls and prolonged freezing conditions. I think when we take a long-term look at the lessons to be learned, we may well establish another salt barn to massively increase our storage supplies. But none of this will be cheap and for sure there will be damage to road surfaces,” said Mr Perry, Romsey Extra division’s member.

He has also called for more salt bins to be placed in residential areas so can the public can grit roads and pavements themselves.

Hampshire’s leader, Ken Thornber, said over £1m had been spent on treating the county’s roads so far this winter and salt supplies were being closely monitored.

“We are determined to find the best use of resources to help keep Hampshire safe and on the move.

We also want to look at the possibility of small shops and businesses being given access to salt at the beginning of the winter to help them out in extreme conditions as well,” said the leader.

Mr Thornber hit back at critics who had attacked the authority for not salting some Test Valley roads.

Highway bosses came under fire after a number of roads in the area including Fryers Close which serves wheelchair-bound residents at Romsey Fryers House and Old Old Salisbury Lane, leading to the area’s largest employer, Roke Manor.

Mr Thornber said everything possible was being done to ensure roads were free of snow and ice, but salt had to be used wisely. “Hampshire, along with other local authorities, has been carefully managing and deploying its salt reserves and gritting fleet effectively, with the priority being to keep the main routes open,” said Mr Thornber “Salting targets have been targeted at priority one routes in order to keep the main road network clear. Old Salisbury Lane is not priority, which is why it hasn’t been salted. I am informed that the local highways teams has had one request for Old Salisbury Lane to be gritted and it has not receive any reports of accidents on the road.”

The council says it has enough salt left for five county wide runs for the priority one road network, Fresh snowfall on Wednesday led led to more problems on roads around Romsey and Stockbridge.

Much of the northern and western half of the Advertiser area had a blanket of between two and four inches of snow, including Mottisfont and Stockbridge. In Romsey, there was around an inch.

West Tytherley, Ampfield and Wellow schools were closed. Lockerley Primary was open but the minibus service was unable to run because of slippery road conditions.

Broughton Primary opened as usual, but parents were unable to drive children in. Head, Janet Smith, said: “Most of the children managed to get here by walking.”

Test Valley Borough Council said that waste collection vehicles, which were confined to their depot for most of the previous week, were unable to get again on Wednesday. Yesterday (Thursday), waste collections resumed.