Essex Highways ready for colder weather

Gritters to travel 114,000 miles during colder months to spread almost 13,000 tonnes of salt on county roads. Essex Highways is ready to deliver this year’s winter gritting programme on the county’s roads, a service which starts on Monday 24th October. Salt-barns are filled and gritter truck drivers will be on stand-by from this date. County residents may have seen gritter vehicles at the beginning of October, even though it was not cold enough. This was to allow drivers to refresh their knowledge of all the routes we grit and learn new routes. Last year, Essex Highways began a route optimisation scheme which saw 12 routes combined into six. A further optimisation has been carried out ahead of this winter season. Changes were made in-house to routes, reducing the need for five of the gritting vehicles. Routes have also been made more efficient, reducing fuel spend on ‘dead running’ - when the gritter is travelling between routes but not spreading any grit. These changes mean an estimated £10,000 less will be spent on fuel this year, saving 14 tonnes of CO2. The reduction of 11 routes and added efficiency enhancements mean that the Essex Winter service this year is being delivered for around £216,000 less than two years ago and helping to deliver a safer, greener, and healthier Essex. Councillor Lee Scott, Cabinet Member for Highways Maintenance and Sustainable Transport at Essex County Council, says; “Throughout our winter maintenance period, our gritter crews are on standby to keep the Essex road network open and safe. Long -range weather forecasts cannot always tell us with any reliability what sort of winter weather we may get, so being as prepared as possible for all conditions is a must. Last winter in Essex our gritters went out 59 times on our 59 routes, over 114,000 miles and using almost 13,000 tonnes of salt on our road network. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank our gritter team for the vital work they do to keep our road network moving safely throughout the winter months. The gritter drivers are the same operatives who repair potholes and jet drains, among other things, so they are very busy at this time of year.” Further information about travelling on Essex’s roads over the winter can be found by visiting extensive winter travel pages on the Essex Highways website, https://www.essexhighways.org/ w i n t e r-t r a v e l o r g r i t t i n g r o u t e s h e r e : h t t p s : / / www.essexhighways.org/salting-routes Finally, during cold autumn and winter weather, county families may like to track where the gritter trucks are at any given moment by using our gritter truck tracking page https:// www.essexhighways.org/track-the-gritting-lorries For families with young children, many of the trucks have names, including, Gritty, Gritty Bang Bang, Gritendor, Frosty, Andy Flurry, Grit Notley, Gritty McGrit Face and Gritty Gordon.

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

My name is Arhon, I am the Senior Website Designer for Consider Local based in Epping. I am somewhat shy by nature, so I was never a fan of networking. In fact, I suffered from what I later discovered was a condition called Glossophobia (fear of public speaking). This was probably one of the appeals of web design, as it allowed me to work behind the scenes and 'go public' with my work only.

About 8 years ago, a colleague recommended I join his local networking group, which he spoke very highly of. He said it would be good for the business and that it might benefit me to step out of my comfort zone. I made many excuses before reluctantly agreeing to 'give it a go'. Fast-forward nearly a decade later here I am - the Chair of the Epping Forest Business Group.

How did that happen? If you would have told me that I would one day chair a business group I would never have believed you. When I first started attending, I was petrified of getting up and doing my weekly 60 second introduction. I do not exaggerate when I tell you that the people sitting next to me could literally hear my tummy rumbling before it was my turn to speak. One day a member of the group invited me to attend a special workshop on 'Glossobpia'. The workshop enabled me to face my irrational fears and turn them into healthy challenges. Studies have shown that the sensation the body goes through when experiencing fear is the same as excitement. Being that the majority of our fears are not routed in an existential threat, most of them can be dissolved by changing the way we relate to them.

After doing the course, I then went on to win 'Best 60 Second Presentation' at the business group. Something I had not managed to do during the 3 years prior, it was evident to me that my change in perspective was having a tangible impact. And the more challenges I embraced the more my confidence grew.

I suppose my biggest fear in taking on the role of chair was that I would fail a group, and at such a critical time too. Post-lockdown the numbers had receded to an all-time low of just 6 members. Making the challenge my fear had highlighted my focus, in just 6 months and a concerted team effort we managed to grow the group to 14 members, and had to move out one of the small rooms within the Epping Connection (where the group is hosted) to their main hall.

One of the most special challenges I said yes to whilst being at the group was doing the London to Brighton cycle ride in aid of Haven House Children's Hospice. I agreed to do it at very short notice and managed to ignore the voice within me saying 'it's too late, there just isn't enough time to raise any meaningful sponsorship'. So instead of dwelling on the possibility of failure. I set myself a goal and worked out a strategy to give myself the best chance of success. And in just 7 days managed to raise £2000 for this amazing charity.

I owe the group a great deal and would like to thank the many members who have inspired me during my journey. With such a diverse range of businesses and expertise to hand, The Epping Forest Business Group has provided the ideal environment for me to grow and develop personally and professionally.

In hindsight, I would say that the most amazing things in my life have happened by somehow overcoming my fears; from graduating, running a business, Chairing the Epping Forest Business Group, to becoming a father. The trick it seems is to feel the fear and do it anyway.

Arhon Ankhkara - Consider Local EFBG - Chair (2022)