Be ready for snowy and icy conditions by collecting free grit on the weekend of 23rd – 24th November.

Sutton Council is offering residents and businesses in the London Borough of Sutton the opportunity to collect 10kg of free grit per household/business* to use on footpaths, pavements or roads in front of their homes or business premises.

You can also collect grit for your elderly friends and neighbours or residents/businesses who don’t have cars. The free grit is available from the following locations:

Woodcote Green Garden Centre

• Saturday 23rd November, 9am – 5.30pm (The garden centre is open until 7pm that day, but we will only be giving out grit until 5.30pm.
• Sunday 24th November, 10am – 4pm

Kimpton Park Re-use and Recycling Centre

• Saturday 23rd November, 9am – 5pm
• Sunday 24th November, 9am – 2pm

Grit at the Kimpton Park Re-use & Recycling Centre and Woodcote Green Garden Centre will be ready bagged.

*Please note proof of residency/business in the London Borough of Sutton will be required for you and any other household/business you are collecting grit for. Please bring along relevant council tax, business rates (NNDR) or utility bills for each household or local business.

Assisted collections

If you are on an assisted waste/recycling collection, you can request delivery of a 10kg bag of grit.  Please call the Council Contact Centre on 020 8770 5000 by 21st November 2019. We aim to get grit bags delivered to residents by 1st December 2019.

Advice about how to get the most out of your bag of grit:

• use your snow shovel to clear new snow prior to applying your grit
• please use your grit sparingly – there is a maximum of 10kg of grit per household
• store it in a shed or garage. Keep it off the ground and covered (to avoid salt seepage)
• if the grit is kept covered and dry it will last for a few years
• use the grit sparingly to clear paths, pavements, roads and steps outside the front of your home if they are covered in snow or ice
• grit won’t melt snow and ice on its own. It relies on a chemical reaction which is triggered when walked or driven on
• heavy traffic and footfall means the grit will last about 6 hours and may then need replacing. While the salt may disappear, the grit will remain for longer and still be effective
• 10kg of free grit is available to all households, including flats and maisonettes
• don’t put grit down the drain as it may clog and cause blockages.

Guidance is also available on Gov.uk on clearing paths 

If a grit bin is empty, please tell us using our online report an empty grit bin form.